War Bonds WW2 Australia

by JW83 17 Replies latest watchtower scandals

  • JW83
    JW83

    This information is taken from thesis by Peter Strawhan, 1984, re JWs in Australia in WW2. Rees was head of JWs in Australia, who were banned 1941-43. JWs contributed £10,000 to war bonds from cash accumulated during ban, reported to Knorr July 1943. Rees: ?of course the fact that we took out the bonds has not been publicized, but we have seen to it that the Government Officials such as Security, Army, Manpower, etc, know of it. This action has been largely responsible for the promise to lift the Restriction Orders.? Restriction orders were placed on most leading JWs by Security during the ban. They were confined to a particular area or town, not allowed to associate with other JWs, except their family, & forbidden to drive a car or to have a telephone.

  • Stephanus
    Stephanus

    Hmmmm, interesting. Kind of a precursor to the Mexico thing - "don't do it because it's right, but because it works".

    Dubs not only investing in a secular govt, but doing so in such a way as to help its war effort! Doesn't surprise me at all.

  • alw
    alw

    thanks for sharing that with us jw83.

    amazing isnt it, i wonder what the old timers would think of that, the ones who went through the ban?

    i will print this one for my file, aussie cover ups. thanks again. mr alw

  • Honesty
    Honesty

    Hypocrites, I say.

  • JW83
    JW83

    Nice pic, Mr alw!

  • ValiantBoy
    ValiantBoy

    Actually I believe there is ome discussion of this in the 1983 yearbook. I may have the year wrong, but it was either 82 or 83. It discussed the factt hat the organization in Australia had compromised their neutrality. It blamed stagnation within the organization on the removal of Jehovah's blessing due to these compromises. Of course, once the situation was corrected, the organization moved forward

  • JW83
    JW83

    Hi ValiantBoy,

    No, that was in relation to commercial interests owned by the Witnesses in this period (printeries, canteens etc). There has never been any Witness admission of buying 10,000 pounds worth of war bonds to influence the government!! Strawhan got his information from gov files (AA (SA) AP538/1, SA29378) & I presume that is a private letter from Rees to Knorr censored by the government.

    Jayne

  • FreeWoman16
    FreeWoman16

    Go Girl!! It's me - I'm finally registered. KF

  • JW83
    JW83

    Hi there WA girl - I welcomed you on a thread in 'Friends' but forgot to say hello on this one!

    Jayne

  • ValiantBoy
    ValiantBoy

    Hey Jayne..Thanks for the info. It's been so long since I read that yearbook that I'm surprised I remebered any of it. I wanted to look it up to see if I was correct before I posted, but, alas, for some ungodly reason I've discarded all my Witness literature...

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