F.C. Streufert letter to Theodore Graebner - July 12, 1918

Transcript

[Lutheran Church Board for Army and Navy letterhead] Prof. Theo. Graebner. Hooker P. O., Pulaski County, [Missouri]. Dear Brother- Your various communications, also newspaper clippings, we have received. Without doubt they are of the greatest importance for us at this time. A striking letter was the letter written by Mr. Holt. You say, we cannot use it for publication, but I personally am convinced it would do its duty if we would send this as a sort of a pastoral letter to our military pastors, without mentioning his name; telling them of the necessity of being on our guard continually. I think this letter, with a proper introduction, mailed to our military pastors, would be of some value. I will present it to the Board at its next meeting. Enemies are getting bolder every day. National Lutheran Commission, at one of its recent meeting, resolved to get in touch with the Lutheran Church Board for Army and Navy, because they were informed that not all of our Missouri Pastors would give all Lutherans Holy Communion, and it would be necessary for them to get in touch with them, for if we would not comply with their request, the danger would arise that all of us would be thrown out of camp. You will notice how they are trying to blame us for things which might happen- I say, which might happen