The 1934 Yearbook stuff found at http://watchtower.observer.org/
Year Book 1934 - Page 127
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GERMANY
For more than a quarter of a century the Society
has carried forward its work in the land of Germany.
During the World War little or no activity was pos-
sible, to be sure; and after the war the Society had
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practically nothing in Germany. Shortly after the
World War there was a large amount of money sent
by American citizens though the home office in Brook-
lyn to Germany for the purpose of investing in real
estate and in machinery to carry on the work of
preaching the 'gospel of God's kingdom' in that land.
Thereafter and until the year 1933 there was a con-
stant increase in the progress of the work. Thousands
of people gave testimony to having received much joy
and consolation.
In the spring of 1933, political conditions underwent
a great change in Germany. The opinion is here ven-
tured that the harshness of the Treaty of Versailles drove
many good, honest people of Germany to desperation
and they were ready and willing to grasp almost any
kind of movement to free themselves from the burdens
that the treaty placed upon them. There was a com-
plete change in the administration in 1933, and Sa-
tan with his earthly agents, particularly from Rome,
took adventage of the opportunity to do injury to the
Lord's cause. We know, of course, that Jehovah could
have prevented this, but manifestly he had not inter-
fered, permitting those who are opposing him and his
kingdom to fully and completely identify themselves
on the side of Satan before Armageddon takes place.
Bavaria is a Catholic country in particular. The per-
secution of Jehovah's witnesses began rigorously in
Bavaria and within a few hours thereafter Catholic
newspapers in the United States published statements
gloating over the fact that the "Bible students" in
Bavaria were being stopped. This is a circumstance
showing that the order came from Rome and that the
Papal hierarchy is really behind of the persecution of
God's people in Germany. It has been easy for Gog,
Satan's chief officer, to pull together his religious
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agents and endeavor the induce the political wing of
the government to work against the proclamation of
Jehovah's kingdom.
Early in April 1933, the police of Germany, under
order, occupied the Society's property at Magdeburg
and forbade the operation of the plant, closed it up
and scaled the machines, and a search began of all of
its books, literature and correspondence. Every room
in the premises was thoroughly searched, with the an-
nounced purpose of finding some evidence that the
Society is against the state. A whole staff of officials
was called in to do this work, and after a thorough
and complete examination of everything on the prem-
ises absolutely nothing was found, and the property
and its activities were released on the 28th day of
April, 1933. Enemies have charged that the Society
was engaged in communists activities and working in
league with the communists and socialists to overthrow
the government; but not one word of testimony was
found in support of that. The government official
making examination, after it was completed, remarked
that nothing political nor any criminal evidence has
been found by the searchers against the Society.
On June 28, 1933, again the Society's property was
seized and occupied and its printing plant closed by
order of the government. This was done upon an or-
der which states that it is in "a decree of the govern-
ment for the protection of the people and the state, is-
sued for the defense against violent actions tha endanger the
state". Not one word of testimony in truth and fact
has been found to support this claim.
The Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, incorpo-
rated under the laws of the United States, was legally
admitted to Germany by proper legal authority in the
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year 1921. After being thus legally admitted as a
corporation a large sum of money was spent in creat-
ing buildings, machinery, etc. The Society has always
respected the laws of the German government and has
never done anything that might be interpreted as
being contrary to the same. The Society has never
had any affiliation directly or indirectly with commu-
nists or any other political body. All of its literature
shows positively that it is against such. The Society's
work is devoted exclusively to teaching the Scriptures,
and not at any time to anything political.
A treaty exists between the United States and Ger-
man governments, which treaty guarantees to Ameri-
can citizens the right to have and maintain property
in Germany and to carry forward their work in har-
mony with German laws. The action of the German
government has been directly in violation of this
treaty. The State Department has acted together with
the Society to have these violations removed. From
June, 1933, to the first part of October the Society's
property at Magdeburg was in possession of the state
police and the machine were scaled and most of the
180 workers there were compelled to leave the prem-
ises. During that time the government police seized
and carried away and burned over $25,000 worth of
literature, books, booklets, paintings, Bibles and other
material of the Society. The government has forbid-
den any meetings of the various companies of Jeho-
vah's witnesses throughout Germany, seized and con-
fiscated all the literature and completely stopped the
distribution of the same.
In June, the president of the Society visited Ger-
many to take some action to get the Society's property
restored to our possession and to carry on to work,
further. Knowing that the enemy has misrepresented
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the facts to the government, a Declaration of Facts
was prepared, and on the 25th day of June, 1933,
more than 7,000 of Jehovah's witnesses assembled at
Berlin and unanimously adopted the resolution, mil-
lions of which were printed and distributed through-
out Germany. That resolution is as follows, to with:
Declaration of Facts
"This company of German people, who are peace-
able and law-abiding citizens representing many others
from every part of Germany, all of whom are earnest-
ly laboring for the highest welfare of the people of
this land, being now duly assembled at Berlin this
25th day of June, A.D. 1933, do joyfully declare our
complete devotion to Jehovah, the Almighty God, and
to his kingdom under Christ Jesus, whose shed blood
bought the human race. We declare that the holy
Scriptures set forth in the Bible constitute the Word
of Jehovah God given to men for their guidance in
righteousness, and that the Word of God is the truth,
and that it is of greatest importance that man have a
knowledge of his relationship to God. We ask to be
judged by the standard of the Word of God.
"Christ Jesus is Jehovah God's great Witness to
the truth, and as his faithful and devoted followers we
are, by His grace, witnesses to the truth. The purpose
of this Declaration is that we may present a true and
faithful witness before the rulers and the people as
to the name and purpose of Jehovah God and our
relation thereto.
"We are wrongfully charged before the ruling
powers of this government and before the people of
this nation; and in order that the name of Jehovah
God may be exalted in the minds of the people, and
that his benevolent purposes be better understood and
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our position fairly placed before the government, we
do respectfully ask the rulers of the nation and the
people to give a fair and impartial consideration to
the statement of facts here made.
"The Scriptures plainly state that the chief opposer
of Jehovah God and the greatest enemy of mankind is
Satan the Devil, whose name is also that of Serpent
and Dragon. It is written in the Scriptures that Sa-
tan, who has long been the invisible ruler of this
world, deceives and blinds the people to the truth in
order that the light of and concerning Jehovah God
and Christ Jesus may not shine into the minds of men.
(2 Corinthians 4:3,4) Frequently by fraud, subtili-
ty and deception Satan has induced honest persons
to war with each other, in order that he might turn
them all away from God and destroy them. Above all
things, the people need to know Jehovah God and his
gracious provision for their general welfare.
Jews
"By the term 'clergy', as used in our literature,
reference is made to that class of professed religious
teachers, priests and Jesuits who employ improper
political means to accomplish their ends and join
forces even with those who deny God and the Lord
Jesus Christ. That is the same class to whom Jesus
referred as his persecutors. We have no criticism of
any honest religious teacher.
"When Jesus went to the Jews to tell them of the
truth, it was the Jewish clergy, that is to say, the
Pharisees and priests, that violently opposed him and
persecuted him and caused him to be charged with all
manner of crimes and offenses. They refused to hear
the truth, and addressing them Jesus said: 'Why do
ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot
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hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and
the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murder-
er from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, be-
cause there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a
lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the
father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye be-
lieve me not.' (John 8:43-45) Although the Phari-
sees and priests then claimed to represent Jehovah
God Jesus told them that they were in fact the rep-
resentatives of Satan the Devil.
"We have no fight with any persons or religious
teachers, but we must call attention to the fact that
it is generally those who claim to represent God and
Christ Jesus who are in fact our persecutors and who
misrepresent us before the governments and nations.
As true followers of Christ Jesus we are to expect
such opposition, and we mention it here in explana-
tion of why we have been misrepresented before the
rulers of this nation. To his faithful followers Jesus
said: 'Remember the word that I said unto you, The
servant is not greater than his lord. If they [the
false religious teachers] have persecuted me, they will
also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they
will keep yours also.' (John 15:20) Furthermore,
Jesus said that this same class of men would cause his
true followers to be wrongfully charged before the
ruling powers, his language being: 'But take heed
to yourselves: for they [false religious teachers] shall
deliver you up to councils [police power]; and in the
synagogues ye shall be beaten; and ye shall be brought
before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony
against them.' (Mark 13:9) This explains why Je-
hovah God now permits his faithful witnesses to be
misrepresented and persecuted, namely, that those of
a wrong spirit may identify themselves as opponents
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of God and thus bear witness against themselves. The
same materialistic spirit that caused the persecution
of Jesus Christ now exists and is back of the persecu-
tion of us as his faithful followers.
"It is falsely charged by our enemies that we have
received financial support for our work from the Jews.
Nothing is farther from the truth. Up to this hour
there never has been the slightest bit of money con-
tributed to our work by Jews. We are the faithful
followers of Christ Jesus and believe upon Him as the
Savior of the world, whereas the Jews entirely reject
Jesus Christ and emphatically deny that he is the
Savior of the world sent of God for man's good. This
of itself should be sufficient proof to show that we re-
ceive no support from Jews and that therefore the
charges against us are maliciously false and could
proceed only from Satan, our great enemy.
"The greatest and the most oppressive empire on
earth is the Anglo-American empire. By that is meant
the British Empire, of which the United States of
America forms a part. It has been the commercial
Jews of the British-American empire that have built
up and carried on Big Business as a means of exploit-
ing and oppressing the peoples of many nations. This
fact particularly applies to the cities of London and
New York, the stronghold of Big Business. This fact
is so manifest in America that there is a proverb con-
cerning the city of New York which says: 'The Jews
own it, the Irish Catholics rule it, and the Americans
pay the bills.' We have no fight with any of these
persons mentioned, but, as the witnesses for Jehovah
and in obedience to his commandment set forth in the
Scriptures, we are compelled to call attention to the
truth concerning the same in order that the people
may be enlightened concerning God and his purpose.
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Our Literature
"It is said that our books and like literature, when
circulated amongst the people, constitute a danger to
the peace and safety of the nation. We are certain
that this conclusion is due to the fact that our books
and other literature have not been carefully examined
by the rulers and hence are not properly understood.
We respectfully call attention to the fact that these
books and other literature were written originally in
America and the language therein used has been
adapted to the American style of plainness of speech
and, when translated into German, the same ap-
pears to be harsh. We admit that the same truths
might be stated in a less blunt and more pleasing
phrase, and yet the language of these books follows
closely the language of the Bible.
"It should be borne in mind that in the British
Empire and in America the common people have suf-
fered and are now suffering greatly because of the
misrule of Big Business and conscienceless politicians,
which misrule has been and is supported by political
religionists, and hence the writers of our books or
literature have endeavored to employ plain language
to convey to the people the proper thought or under-
standing. The language used, however, is not as strong
or emphatic as that used by Jesus Christ in denounc-
ing the oppressors and false teachers of his time.
"The present government of Germany has declared
emphatically against Big Business oppressors and in
opposition to the wrongful religious influence in the
political affairs of the nation. Such is exactly our po-
sition; and we further state in our literature the rea-
son for the existence of oppressive Big Business and
the wrongful political religious influence, because the
Holy Scriptures plainly declare that these oppressive
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instruments proceed from the Devil, and that the
complete relief therefrom is God's kingdom under
Christ. It is therefore impossible for our literature or
our work to in any wise be a danger or a menace to
the peace and safety of the state.
"Our organization is not political in any sense. We
only insist on teaching the Word of Jehovah God to
the people, and that without hindrance. We do not
object to or try to hinder anyone's teaching or believ-
ing what he desires, but we only ask the freedom to
believe and teach what we conceive the Bible to teach,
and then let the people decide which they wish to be-
lieve.
"To know Jehovah God and his gracious provision
for humankind is of most vital importance to all per-
sons, because God has declared in His Word that
where there is no vision or understanding of his Word
the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18) We have de-
voted our lives and our material substance to the work
of enabling the people to gain a vision or understand-
ing of God's Word, and therefore it is impossible for
our literature and our work to be a menace to the
peace and safety of the nation. Instead of being
against the principles advocated by the government
of Germany, we stand squarely for such principles,
and point out that Jehovah God through Christ Jesus
will bring about the full realization of these principles
and will give to the people peace and prosperity and
the greatest desire of every honest heart.
"Our organization seeks neither money nor mem-
bers, but we are a company or organized body of
Christian people engaged solely in the benevolent
work of teaching the Word of God to the people at
the least possible cost to them. Our organization was
originally incorporated in the United States of Amer-
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ica in 1884 under the name of the WATCH TOWER
BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY, and in 1914 incorpo-
rated under the laws of Great Britain by the name of
the INTERNATIONAL BIBLE STUDENTS AS-
SOCIATION. These are merely the corporate names
of our organization for legally carrying forward its
work. The Scriptural name by which we are known
is 'Jehovah's witnesses'. We are engaged solely in a
benevolent work. The purpose of our organization is
to aid the people to understand the Bible, which dis-
closes the only possible way for the complete relief
and blessing for mankind. Our organization has ex-
tended its work throughout the earth. The education,
culture and upbuilding of the people must and will
come through the agency of God's kingdom concerning
which we teach as set forth in the Bible. The salva-
tion of the people depends upon the true knowledge
of and obedience to Jehovah God and his righteous
ways.
"The people are in great distress and in need of
help to understand the reason for their unhappy con-
dition and what is the means of relief. The Scriptures,
when understood, make this matter clear. Instead of
collecting money from the people and using the same
to erect great buildings and to support men in luxury,
we print the gospel message of God's kingdom and
carry it to the homes of the people that they may, at
the least inconvenience to themselves, gain a knowl-
edge of God's purposes concerning them.
"A careful examination of our books and literature
will disclose the fact that the very high ideals held
and promulgated by the present national government
are set forth in and endorsed and strongly emphasized
in our publications, and show that Jehovah God will
see to it that these high ideals in due time will be at-
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tained by all persons who love righteousness and who
obey the Most High. Instead, therefore, of our litera-
ture and our work's being a menace to the principles
of the present government we are the strongest sup-
porters of such high ideals. For this reason Satan,
the enemy of all men who desire righteousness, has
sought to misrepresent our work and prevent us from
carrying it on in this land.
"For many years our organization has put forth
an unselfish and persistent effort to do good to the
people. Our American brethren have greatly assisted
in the work in Germany, and with money freely con-
tributed, and that at a time when all Germany was in
dire distress. Now because it appears that Germany
may soon be free from oppression and that the peo-
ple may be lifted up, Satan, the great enemy, puts
forth his endeavours to destroy that benevolent work
in this land.
League of Nations
"The language in our books or literature concern-
ing the League of Nations has been seized upon as a
reason for prohibiting our work and the distribution
of our books. Let us remind the government and the
people of Germany that it was the League of Nations
compact that laid upon the shoulders of the German
people the great unjust and unbearable burdens. That
League of Nations compact was not brought forth by
the friends of Germany. In America at one time the
public press announced that 140,000 clergymen had
set aside a certain period of time in which a concerted
movement was to be made, and which was made, to in-
duce the American people to fully endorse the League
of Nations. It was the Federation of Churches in
America that issued a manifesto stating that the
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'League of Nations is the political expression of God's
kingdom on earth', and which by them was substituted
in the place and stead of God's kingdom under Christ.
It was in America that our organization under the
visible leadership of its president pointed out emphat-
ically that the League of Nations is not an institution
of Jehovah God, because it is oppressive and unfair
and nothing that proceeds from Jehovah God could
be oppressive and unfair. It was that condition, exist-
ing at the time, which called forth the language that
appears in our books concerning the League of Na-
tions and also calling attention to the fact that such
League of Nations compact can never bring about the
relief and blessing of the people, because such relief
and blessing can come only by adhering strictly to the
principles laid down in God's Word and in the man-
ner which Jehovah has pointed out.
"For almost half a century our strictly Christian
organization has carried on its work in various parts
of the earth. Its books are published in more than 50
languages, and upward of 140 million of these books
are in the hands of the people. For more than thirty
years our books and literature have been distributed
throughout Germany, and millions of these are now
in the hands of the German people and are read by
the people, all of whom will bear testimony to the fact
that these books, based strictly on the Bible, are of
great help to them and upbuild them and give them
hope for a realization of the blessings which Jehovah
God long ago promised. In all these years of our
work, and in the wide distribution of our books and
literature, not one instance can be truthfully cited
wherein our work or literature has been a menace to
the government or has in any wise endangered the
peace and safety of the nations.
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Year Book 1934 - Page 140 must following but there exist no GIF
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"The endeavors of our organization being exclusively confined to bearing
testimony to the name and Word of Jehovah God, it would be entirely
inconsistent for us to attempt to exert any political influence in the
governments of this world or to do anything that would endanger the peace
and safety of the nation. We have no desire nor inclination to do anything
except to carry out our divinely given commission to proclaim the Word of
Jehovah God.
"In America, Canada and other parts of the British Empire the political
clergy, priests and Jesuits have persistently persecuted and continue to
persecute those of our organization, and without just cause or excuse; and
we have every reason to believe that a like influence has been subtilly
[sic] employed by the great enemy Satan to misrepresent us and our work in
Germany. We remind you that in the years past the political clergymen have
brought more sorrow upon the German people than probably any other class of
men. We have no desire to fight with the clergymen, but we do ask that the
ruling powers of the nation judge us not by the misrepresentation of such
men, but that we be judged according to the Word of God and the work we are
doing consistent therewith. Jehovah God persecutes no one, but permits each
one to choose his own course, holding him responsible for his acts
according to knowledge. Jehovah God has emphatically expressed his anger
against those who do persecute others who are trying to serve him; and this
proves that those who persecute us do not represent God, but that they are
incited so to do by the enemy of God and man.-Psalm 72:4
Great Truths
"The Holy Scriptures, viewed in the light of present-day events which are
in fulfilment of divine prophecy, disclose that: The time has arrived when
Jehovah will make his name known to all creation and vindicate his name and
clear it from the defamation which Satan has placed against that holy name.
(Psalm 83: 18) When Jesus Christ, the Vindicator, ascended into heaven
Jehovah commanded him to wait until his due time to put the enemy down.
That period of waiting has now come to an end and God has sent forth his
beloved Son to oust the enemy and rule in righteousness. (Psalm 110: 14;
Hebrews 10: 12,13) The world, or uninterrupted rule, of Satan has ended,
and this began to be evidenced by the World War in 1914, and since then
until now is the time when the gospel of the Kingdom must be told to the
people. (Matthew 24: 3,14) Satan has now been cast out of heaven and down
to the earth and now confines his operations to the earth in an endeavor to
blind the people to the truth and destroy them, and that is the reason for
the present-day sufferings of humanity. The prophetic words of Jesus now
apply: 'Woe to the inhabiters [the rulers] of the earth, and of the sea
[the people in general]! for the devil is come down unto you, having great
wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.'-Revelation 12:
12.
"The people of Germany have suffered great misery since 1914 and have been
the victims of much injustice practiced upon them by others. The
nationalists have declared themselves against all such unrighteousness and
announced that 'Our relationship to God is high and holy'. Since our
organization fully endorses these righteous principles and is engaged
solely in carrying forth the work of enlightening the people concerning the
Word of Jehovah God, Satan by subtilty [sic] endeavors to set the
government against our work and destroy it because we magnify the
importance of knowing and serving God. Instead of our organization's being
a menace to the peace and safety of the government, it is the one
organization standing for the peace and safety of this land .
We beg to remind all that the great crisis is upon the world because the
transition period from bad to good is at hand, and the hope of the world is
God's kingdom under Christ, for which Jesus taught his followers to
constantly pray: 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is
done in heaven.'
"The power of Jehovah God is supreme and there is no power that can
successfully resist him. His time to exercise his power in the interest of
humanity and to the vindication of his great name is here. In this
connection we respectfully call attention to the admonition and warning of
Jehovah God, both to the rulers and to the people, which applies to this
very hour, wherein he says: "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of
Zion.... Be wise now, therefor, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the
earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but
a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.'-Psalm 2: 6,
10-12.
'"The present government having declared adherence to the aforementioned
high ideals, we are persuaded that the rulers do not desire to knowingly
resist the progressive witness work to the name of Jehovah God and his
kingdom which we are now carrying forward. If our work is merely that of
men, it will fall of its own weight. If it is of Jehovah God and being
carried forward in obedience to his commandment, then to resist it means to
fight against God.-Acts 5: 39.
We therefore appeal to the high sense of justice of the government and
nation and respectfully ask that the order of prohibition against our work
and our literature be set aside, and the opportunity be given us to have a
fair hearing before we are judged. We respectfully ask that the government
appoint a committee of impartial men to hold conference with a committee of
our organization and that a fair and impartial examination of our
literature and our work be made, to the end that all misunderstanding may
be removed and that we may without hindrance obey Jehovah God's commandment
now applying to us, to wit: 'Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye
the way of the people; cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up
a standard for the people.'-Isaiah 62: 10.
"The peoples of Germany are a God-fearing people and should not be deprived
of an opportunity to learn of Jehovah God and of his gracious provision to
bring lasting peace, prosperity, liberty and everlasting life on earth to
all those who know and obey him. Let all who love God work together to the
honor and vindication of his name. All who take a
contrary course must take responsibility before God; but as for us we will
serve Jehovah forever.
"RESOLVED, That copies of this Declaration be respectfully delivered to
high officials of the government and that the same be given wide
publication to the people, that the name of Jehovah may be further known."