Sylvester Jones. Journal of Sylvester Jones

Sylvester Jones. Journal of Sylvester Jones

The victims of the Spanish Civil War were mainly civilians, as both sides engaged in total war against one another. Sylvester Jones was a Quaker sent to Spain by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) from late 1936 through early 1937. He was to investigate the situation in Spain and garner a sense of whether or not the AFSC should provide relief work, and, if so, how they should administer it. While in Spain he studied the work of the British Friends and other aid organizations who were already helping the Spanish people and discussed their efforts in his diary. His diary, written for distribution and propaganda purposes, also provides an unique insight into the realities of everyday life of the Spanish people during the War. It describes severe food shortages, children’s colonies, the soldiers he came across, and the meetings he had with various aid workers and organizers of relief efforts. In response to the reports of Jones and others, the AFSC sent aid in the form of provisions such as food, clothing, and personnel, allowing the Quakers to peacefully intervene in the face of the destructive power of total war.

Sylvester Jones

1936-37

Callie Kennedy and Molly Lausten