Odyssey

Only their bishop had an overcoat yet without shivering, in waterfront breezes of December, 214 curious-looking people stood three hours one day last week on a Manhattan pier. Then they sailed on the S. S. Western World for Paraguay.

They were Mennonites, religious farmer-folk, from Canada. There were 81 men, a sturdy lot, many prematurely old, all wearing flowing beards, shovel hats, ecclesiastic long coats. Ninety-five women, plump, strong, wore long, full skirts, bright-colored shawls. There were 38 children. All spoke German, among themselves.

Founded at Zurich, 1523, the Mennonite faith soon afterward received its name from its ablest early exponent, Menno Simons. This young onetime Catholic priest chanced upon some tracts of Martin Luther, experienced regeneration. But he devised tenets more like those of the Quakers than Luther's. Mennonites discard priesthood, own no authority outside the Bible and "enlightened conscience," stress the sanctity of human life (hence will not fight in any war) and "a man's word" (hence never swear).

Their bland and persistent indifference to civil authority has given them, for 400 years, a checkered career. But they have always been good farmers, and many governments have made them, at least for a time, special concessions. Holland has always treated them well; there are 60,000 there. The German Mennonites fared less happily; many emigrated in 1786 to Russia, by invitation of Catherine II, who granted military exemption. This grant having been rescinded in 1870, large numbers of the faithful came to the U. S. (where a Germantown, Pa., colony existed as early as 1683), spread to Nebraska and the southwestern states; others went to Manitoba. The U. S. Mennonites, 91,000 in number, have become prosperous and content; the Canadians have lately had trials. Though the government throughout the War stood by its promise of non-conscription, loyal Canadians, irritated, demanded state supervision of Mennonite schools, which, granted, led last week's band to leave. They are to report on Paraguay, where they will settle; if all goes well, other Canadian faithful will follow.