Jewish prisoners wrote and received letters twice a month. The Bible Students were allowed no communication with the outside world, but, on the other hand, their rations were not cut down. Herr X spoke with the highest respect of these men. Their courage and religious faith were remarkable, and they professed themselves ready to suffer to the uttermost what they felt God had ordained for them. . . . The ‘Bibelforscher,’ a religious sect taking its doctrine from the Bible and having a considerable membership in every part of the country, but proscribed by the Gestapo since its members refuse military service; these unhappy people were almost as badly treated as the Jews.”g

On November 15, 1939, it became necessary for the Society’s London office to issue the following statement to all members of Parliament, religious leaders, local officials and the press:

“Jehovah’s witnesses, wherever they reside, are loyal to the laws and customs of the countries, seeking to serve God, and are of goodwill to all men. If they are judged by men as disloyal it is only when a human law is enacted which interposes a human instruction contrary to the Scriptures, or would give to a man the worship which belongs only to Almighty God. That the position of Jehovah’s witnesses in relation to present events may be clear, a pamphlet republished from The Watchtower is enclosed. At the same time this makes plain the reason for their NEUTRALITY in all cases, and why they are unable to take part in anything military. On behalf of the thousands of Jehovah’s witnesses in Britain we wish to make this position clear. As servants of the Most High God, our position is identical with that of our German brethren, namely, that of strict NEUTRALITY. Our devotion, service and loyalty are consecrated to Jehovah’s THEOCRATIC GOVERNMENT, and according to John 17:16, ‘They are not of the world, even as I am not of the World.’”h

The statement also made reference to the British government White Paper’s recognition that the German witnesses were persecuted, too, for failure to take up military service.

(To be continued)

Blood Substitutes

Nature’s Own Blood Substitute?

What may well turn out to be the most remarkable of all blood substitutes is coconut water. The Chicago Daily News, March 26, 1954, in reporting on “How Coconut Water Substitutes for Blood,” said the following:

“A researcher reported Friday that water drawn from an ordinary coconut has been used as a blood substitute and body fluid replacement in humans. Dr. Ben Eiseman of Denver said the substance may be a cheap source of suitable fluid under emergency military conditions or where pure water solutions are unavailable. Writing in the Archives of Surgery, published by the American Medical Association, he said 21 persons have received a total of 26 intravenous infusions of coconut water without any serious reactions. The preliminary studies were carried out in Bangkok, Thailand, and in St. Louis. The water was obtained by withdrawing the fluid through a tube inserted in the eye of an unripened coconut. This water was then filtered to drain off any particles of coconut meat.

“Tests showed the water was free from contamination and that its main ingredients were potassium, chloride, phosphate, sugars, magnesium, calcium and proteins. Dr. Eiseman said that while the present study was too limited to make definite conclusions, further study is warranted.”

Lemon Pectin, a Blood Substitute

During World War II, a whitish, grainy powder was found in the emergency kits of German war prisoners who stated that they had been instructed to sprinkle it onto wounds to form a clot quickly. It turned out to be pectin made from lemons. American doctors began to experiment with it and a number of recoveries were attributed to it. Only because of the extensive use of blood plasma, now rejected by many governments because of its carrying the hepatitis virus, was lemon pectin discarded.