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THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
I have no doubt whatsoever that Capt. Rice and
l’-s early associates builded better than they knew
\ hen they developed the thought into_ practical ap
plication, that much of the bigotry and prejudice of
the Southland, and particularly in this my native
state—Georgia—was founded upon ignorance of our
holy faith.
We are now organized and have come out before
•'-11 the • world prepared to answer and clear up all
charges against us, and to answer any and all ques
tions.
Designing and culpable politicians have long
waved the fetish of church domination from Rome
n our local American affairs with only one thought,
and that to profit in a personal way.
Your purpose to acquaint your neighbors with the
attitude you hold and I hold on the principle of sep
aration of Church and State is so definite and cer
tain that it seems impossible to believe that anyone
in this country could for a moment entertain the
thought that we would have any other condition
than that which we have, and hope will continue.
I know you are charged by designing men to hold
to other ideals, and I am personally grateful that it
fell to the lot of other native Georgians to establish
a Bureau that would answer in a calm, concise way
cur beliefs as to our faith, and repudiate in a force
ful way the contemptible inuendoes and insinuations
that have for their purpose only one thought, and
that is to bring on your heads the ill will and oppro
brium of your neighbors.
There was real grief throughout the United
States in all Catholic circles when your able man
ager, Mr. Farrell, was called by death in the very
bloom of his manhood, and at the very height of his
power as an inspiration to his fellow Catholic men,
and I could wish your present Manager, Mr. Reid, no
higher compliment than that he be spared many
years to your Bureau to carry on the work so au-
sp ; ciously begun.
I wonder if it is not a real truth that situated as
you are. and harassed by enemies who seem to in
fest so many sections, it has brought to the surface
(Continued to Page 11)
AMERICAN CATHOLICS IN THE WAR
A REVIEW OF MICHAEL WILLIAMS’ HISTORY OF THE WAR COUNCIL
In these days when assaults on the patriotism of
American Catholics are being sent out from quar
ters where such a smoke-screen is badly needed,
the appearance of such a book as “American Catho-
ics and the War,” written by Michael Williams of
the National Catholic Welfare Council, is especially
welcome. The work is dedicated to Bisjiop Muldoon
of Rockford.
The services rendered by Catholics in the World
War are inadequately known, even to Catholics them
selves.' Fairminded non-Catholics have a vague
idea that Catholics did their bit, but they are
not familiar with the size of that bit. Anti-Catholics
not only try to minimize the services of the members
of our faith, but attempt to place us in the position
of doing worse than doing nothing. All three classes,
therefore, Catholics, fair-minded non-Catholics, and
non-Catholics who are not fair-minded, would read
the work of Mr. Williams with profit.
It was inevitable that the Catholics of America
would put their all behind the government, once
their country entered the titanic struggle. But some
thing besides willingness to serve is necessary; the
knowledge of how to serve is also essential. Mr.
Williams established the fact that both willingness
and ability characterized the work of Catholics dur
ing the war.
The work of the Catholic Church in this war
was not something new. It was merely a new phase
of the Church in action. It was not a work which
was born over night, or even in a generation. It
had behind it the centuries of the Church’s existence.
It is by no means something new for the Church to
serve America, Mr. Williams traces the work of
Catholics in America from the time of Columbus
down to the present day—the days of the Spaniards;
the coming of the French; the dawn of American
liberty with the establishment of Catholic Mary
land; the part of Catholics in the Revolution, from
the men in the ranks to the officers, not only Ameri
can Cathobcs, but sons of Ireland. France and Poland
as well; the services of sons of the Church in the
other wars of our country, the War of 1812. when
our neonle were united in their patriotism under the
saintly Archbishop Carroll: the Mexican War. when
Catholics took up arms against, brother Catholics in
defense of their country; the Civil War, the story of
which is too well known to need repetition; and the
Spanish-American War, when sons of the Church
were again lined up in opposing ranks.
A little known fact of American history is brought
to light by Mr. Williams, who states that the first
diplomatic light by Mr. Williams, who states that the
diplomatic circle of the United States was Catho
lic, embracing the ministers of France and Spain,
the first nations to acknowledge the independence of
the United States. An interesting parallel between
the colonies at the time of the Revolution and Geor
gia at the present time is also revealed. Our Coun
try in 1776, as Georgia today, had 20,000 Catholics
out of a total population of 2,700,000. So it could
not be political expediency which prompted the im
mortal Washington to pen the following message to
the Catholics of the colonies:
“As mankind becomes more liberal, they will be
more apt to allow that all those who conduct them
selves as worthy members of the community are
entitled to the protection of civil government. I
hope ever to see America among the foremost na
tions in example of justice and liberality, and I pre
sume that your fellow citizens will not forget the
patriotic part you took in the accomplishment of
their revolution, and the establishment of your gov
ernment: or the important assistance which they re
ceived from a nation in which the Roman Catholic
faith is professed.
The actual work of Catholics during the war can
not be set forth in a short review. Mr. Williams
could only crowd an outline of it in his 467 pages.
Nor can the praise of president and statesman,
warrior and welfare worker, be here repeated. The
book should be in the hands of every Catholic in
Georgia and elsewhere, and there is no better anti
dote to the prevailing fanatical anti-Catholic wave
than this work.
The Catholic Laymen’s Association of Georgia
is anxious that: “American Catholics in the War”
be given the widest possible distribution. Most peo
ple in the anti-Catholic class are merely misinform
ed. They mean to be fair. Mr. Williams’ book,
published under the ausnices of the National Catho
lic Welfare Council, and hence not a personal mat
ter with the author, will help them to get a better
view of those they now so thoroughly misunderstand.