Ben Salmon: Catholic Conscientious Objector of the Great war (Feature Article‪)‬

A letter dated June 5, 1917 was addressed to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson by a young man who had recently registered with his local draft board. Though he complied with the newly created Selective Service Act, the young man wrote the President saying: "Complying with your edict, I registered today. Your mandate was autocratic, and contrary to the Constitution ... I refuse to submit to conscription. Regardless of nationality, all men are my brothers. God is 'our Father who art in heaven: The commandment 'Thou shalt not kill' is unconditional and inexorable .... Both by precept and example, the lowly Nazarene taught us the doctrine of non-resistance, and so convinced was He of the soundness of that doctrine that He sealed His belief with death on the cross."