(2 of 3)
Lloyds Banks, established such trade-names as Colman's Mustard, Huntley & Palmer's Biscuits, Jacob's Biscuits. Three families, the Cadburys, Frys and Rowntrees, made fortunes in the chocolate business. Among delegates in Philadelphia last week were Barrow Cadbury, a fox-bearded little man who was chairman of Cadbury Bros., Ltd. until five years ago, and his wife Geraldine, a Dame of the British Empire who told reporters: "I put 'D' on my cards but I wouldn't like to be called Dame." Energetic Joan Fry of the Bristol chocolate-making family was present, but B. Seebohm Rowntree, head of his family and business, did not appear as he had planned to.
Quaker T. Edmund Harvey, a British M. P., and James G. Douglas, a onetime
Irish Free State Senator were in Philadelphia. Madagascar sent the clerk of its meeting, a Negro whose name is simply Andrianaly. For the benefit of reporters he played with his hands, arms and elbows a twelve-stringed instrument called the valiha. Thirteen of Germany's 250 Friends were permitted to make the trip to Philadelphia. One of them, Hans Albrecht, said to a reporter: "The future of Quakerism in the Reich is assured. Perhaps I should not say that, for if the government hears of it, they may say, 'Hello, what is this?' and we might find our status changed."
Like other Quakers, unaccustomed to the light of publicity, he was afterwards upset .to see his diplomatic slip in print. Two of Japan's 700 Friends talked to reporters before the press agent of the conference, nervous John Reich of the Friends Service Committee, could stop them. Said Quaker Seiju Hirakawa: "The present invasion of China by Japan is motivated by a militaristic clique which is trying to protect the Manchukuo experiment ... a colossal failure. Ninety per cent of Japan is against the present undeclared war. . . ." Said Ryumei Yamano: ''In Japan we have no freedom of speech."
Only a handful of Friends wore plain bonnets or broad-brimmed black hats, but the use of the oldtime Quaker ''thee" and "thy" was common. No one quaked or trembled, as would once have been permissible, but there was some public weeping, notably by British Quaker Harvey, who sobbed after being moved to pray that he might become a "candle of the Lord"—a traditional Quaker expression. The meetings at which such prayers were voiced, in accordance with Quaker belief that the Lord furnishes inspiration,, for them, were the first in Quaker history at which portable microphones were used. Many a Friend found the flow of his inspiration halted; some declined flatly to voice their thoughts, and at one time the whole system broke down.
Votes are never taken at Friends' meetings, and even if they were, dissident Friends would not consider themselves bound by the results. Most that a meeting does is to decide that "the sense of the meeting" subscribes to this or that generality. Chief matter on which the second World Conference was in agreement was that Quakers must be forthright, militant pacifists.