Perilous Journey: The Mennonite Brethren in Russia 1860-1910, John B. Toews, 1988

s demanded of all young Mennonite males, regardless of personal conviction. The resulting mix of believer and unbeliever combined with the relative youth of most recruits made it difficult to exercise effective social control in the camps. Some even considered the forestry service as "a primary station for our home missions." 14 Ministerial consultations as well as All- Mennonite conferences frequently agonized about the lack of religious piety in the camps. It was difficult to create a common basis of faith in this setting, even with the help of forestry chaplains and itinerant ministers. 82 As an expression of nonviolence the forestry service had its limitations: its sense of compulsion; its isolation from the rest of society; its lack of active involvement with human suffering. There was nevertheless a compensating factor. Among its parti- cipants it created a sense of comradery which transcended denominational lines. When a Russian Mennonite spoke of his Forstei Brueder (Forestry Brothers) it never mattered which church they belonged to. The many Forstei reunions of later decades speak eloquently to the unifying effect of a common life in the barracks. Here was a sense of peoplehood unattainable in the context of conventional religion. A common debt also united Mennonite groups in the early twentieth century. When Mennonite state service commenced in 1880 its cost was entirely borne by the Mennonites. At first the system was financed through a head tax as well as an assessment based on land holdings. In time the revenue base was broadened to include businessmen and industrialists. Finally, by 1909 a universal tax levied on all Mennonite property, private and corporate, came into effect. The new forestry tax was based on the individual's net worth. When the deficits continued, the tax was placed on the same footing as any other state levies and collectable by force if necessary. In this setting Mennonite leaders of all persuasions frequently met to deal with the problems confronting the Forestry Commission. It was not, however, a platform for resolving doctrinal differences. Likewise cooperation during WWI was not necessarily the result of a better theological understanding between Mennonite groups. Even the Mennonites were caught up in the wave of patriotism sweeping over Russia at the onset of the conflict. Everywhere villages and volosts collected food, clothing and monies for the needy families of Russian conscripts or use in field hospitals and general relief. Initially some young Mennonites volunteered for the Red Cross. Conscription soon placed others in the forestry or noncombatant medical service. This diaspora of unprecedented magnitude not only meant that Mennonites of every kind and description were thrown together, but that they were also scattered throughout the length and breadth of Russia. What happened to the impressionable young when they witnessed the carnage on Russia