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4 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.