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w w <?J0 The Bulletin .. 0/ the Catholic Laymen's Association of Georgia .. G\ rZ> m r “To bring about a friendlier feeling among Georgians irrespective of Creed.” Number 2 April 1920 THE QUARTER’S WORK With the beginning of the new year, the publicity work was in full swing, the amplified plans of the new administration showing excellent results. The outstanding feature has been the correspondence. In deed, much of the usual distribution of pamphlets had to be curtailed greatly at times owing to the numbers of letters to be written. Inquiries are re ceived now at the rate of three hundred a month. The majority are of the usual expressed desire for general specific information, but not a few have been along new lines, and a few have required great labor and research. For instance, this was one of the three questions asked by a writer of Dekalb County: “In 1861 how many Catholics resided within the boundaries of the states that seceded from the Union? In the same year how many nunneries and convents were there in the Southern states? In answering this last question give the name and location of each institution; also mention some of their foremost grad uates, state which side they took in the war and their activities after the war. Also state how many Cath olic institutions there were in the Southern states.” In less than a month all data was compiled and sent to the inquirer. This was an extreme case, but there were others whose peculiar questions required much work to an swer properly and fully. Two new leaflets have been circulated. The first is a reprint of Bishop Keiley’s invective against lynch ing in Georgia, as it appeared in The Atlanta Con stitution, and that paper’s commendatory editorial thereon. Ten thousand were struck off and sent out, not only to a preferred list in Georgia, but to all parts of the country. The second publication, just off the press, is a re print of an editorial from a recent issue of The New York Evening Sun, denouncing the fake oath of the Knights of Columbus. Ten thousand were printed and are being sent out at this time. Ten thousand leaflets, “Information Free,” were also printed. Reprints include “Catholics and Poli tics” and “A Plea for Peace.” Total printed matter for the three months numbers 40,000 copies. The editor-in-chief is still at work on the pamphlet about the Pope. This will be perhaps the most im portant brochure yet issued by the Association. Its nature and the conditions in Georgia necessitate most careful preparation, so that the bureau is going for ward slowly and most carefully. Date of publication is not yet fixed, but should be known before another Bulletin is issued. The great evil of Divorce is receiving attention. A scholarly paper on this subject has, with the able initiative of our Right Reverend Bishop, been pre pared, is now in the hands of the printer and will soon be issued in the form of an open letter to our Protestant friends. It is a decided step forward in the Association’s program, and should be carefully rea d by each member. The advertising program has been continued in thirty of the small-town counties in each of the dailies in the large cities. Interest seems to center chiefly in Atlanta and nearby towns. Even with our large office force, much work is necessary to keep up with inquiries received as a result of even this piecemeal advertising. To increase it now would be unwise. The newspaper department has been devoid of in cident with one exception. A paper in Wilkes County has devoted much space to a minister’s articles which, while friendly, yet contained much error regarding Catholic teaching and positions upon public matters. It is receiving attention and will doubtless be a closed incident soon. The Bishop’s splendid open letter upon lynching was made the occasion of a diatribe against Catholics by one paper in the western part of the state, but it found no imitators or even commentators. In southwest Georgia an editor felt called upon to defend his course in printing our advertisement, and did so warmly and gallantly, but even he allowed common errors about Catholic doctrines to creep into his otherwise excellent edtiorial. The bureau also lent its aid to the Augusta drive which established a new standard of liberality among the Catholics of the state, and an account of which appears elsewhere.