The Irish standard., 1914-10-03
Social Service Bulletin

fragrant to prevent any disguise of
their character-ah, yes, they are
more apparent and more fragrant
than they are in Germany. preceding
the Kulturkampf; more so than in
Spain, and Italy, when Catholicism.
so-called became uncsientific, and re-
Progressive, and more SO than in
France when Viviani put out the
light that came from above. But
are we willing to sit idly by-to
sleep while our enemies are forcing
the issue? Can such a great body
as the American Federation of Cath
olic Societies be wide-awake and in
telligent at the dawn of a new era?
Can it rub the sleep from its eyes
and awake to the ever increasing
duties? Or shall this new social in
terest remain vague, cropping. senti-
mental. timid and inefficient? Shall
we follow fake cries and watchwords.
or shall we be like an army moving
against hillside before the enemy's
batteries are unmasked?
THE NEED OF LINKING UP OF
OUR UNITS WAS NEVER GREAT
Err THAN TODAY. In this work
everyone can and should do his share.
The whole work conceives its func-
tion to be that of bringing the in
| divid,io1 forooc fo 1r,orI- +o~o&ho~
rather than considering itself as an
Independent body.
To this is often answered "but
what is everybody's business, is no.
body's business" and therefore, a
central organization is impractical.
impossible and futile. But, Germany
will answer, no-and decidedly so.
Germany combated and overcame
three great evils, the State absolu-
tism, socialism, and the appalling
apathy of the wealthier Catholics.
And the apathetic Catholic will
again answer that Germany, did not
| meet the same obstacles that we
meet here. its country is not so vast,
Its language and people are not as
heterogeneous. But can this be cor
rect, for when Germany assumed to
solve the problem of social reform.
the progress of inter-communication
by electricity and by post, of trans
portation by rail and water was ten
times more difficult than today in
the United States. And as the Unit
ed States today is the melting pot Of
America, SO was Germany the melt
ing pot of Europe. The Catholics
were not only German speaking
Catholics-but Polish, Swiss, Bavar-
ian. French, and all of the different
provincial dialects. THE PEOPLE
OF ONE PROVINCE WE'RE MORE
FOREIGN TO ONE ANOTHER
THAN THOSE OF WISCONSIN ARE
TO THOSE OF NEW YORK OR CAL
1FORNIA. All, yes, our one diff
Guilty is the great apathy of the
American Catholics.
A solid firm national achievement
can be brought about. Non-Catho-
lies tell us so, some Catholics may
think so, but many of us know it
so.
Let us not remain an isolated COM
munity, standing aloof from the as
pirations of the people, for as the
great Windhorst of Germany said.
we must establish the maneouvres of
the Catholic forces. Let us mobilize
and drill every Catholic, and make
it part of this great intellectual
fighting force. The material, the
men and arms are ready. but you
Catholics have the commanding
power, to direct the men, and YOU
have the ammunition to make their
arms effective. The starting place
is awaiting you-the goal is the per-
formance of your duty, while the an
swer,- it rests with you.
PEACE SOCIETIES
international Cancellation" and
World Peace Foundation" are two
organized endeavors in promoting
the cause of International peace and
understanding.
The Executive Committee of the
Association for International Conci-
liation wist to arouse the interest of
the American people in the progress
of the movement for promoting in
ternational peace and relations of
comfy and good fellowship between
nations. To this end they print and
circulate documents giving informa-
tion as to the progress of these move
ments, in order that individual citi-
zens, the newspaper press, and or
ganizations of various kinds may
have readily available accurate in
formation on these subjects. Month
ly it publishes in pamphlet form
articles by prominent men on this
question, including papers by Baron
d'Estournelles de Constant, Pope Pi-
us X, Elihu Root, Andrew Carnegie,