The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1917-09-09
NOT NEEDED AT CAMP.

The fact that the knights of Columbus have been
permitted to erect recreation rooms at Camp Cor
don, along with the Y. NJ c. A, has brought down
considerable censure upon the head of Secretary
of War, Baker. The Masons were denied this privi
lege and the war department has whole lot of
explanation coming.
Loving fair play, number of leading Georgia
papers have resented the anttCatholic legislation
and agitation that has been fostered and promul-
gated in the state by Tom Watson It was not gen.
orally believed that any such persecution was de-
served and it was resented because it was deemed
largely a religious persecution 1t has always been
held as dangerous propaganda and Watson won no
very great approval or support
But now there is rumpus and a sure enough
cause for rumpus, the Watson agitators say.
Secretary Bakers action in permitting the Knights
of Columbus to have recreation rooms at Camp Cor
don is questioned straightway and assailed where
it is possible to resolute" And all these reso
buttons to be faced and answered The secre-
tary has made attempt to anwser and not very
good one.
permitted the grounds at Camp Gordon The
order is a religious body, but that is not all. 1t
is secret order if anything. The Y. NJ. C. A. is
religious in character, but Protestant. However,
well may think of it. all religious institutions are
not represented in the Y. M. c. A., and therefore it
would have been rank discrimination to have per-
mtted only the Protestant organization and refused
the Catholics place.
But by admitting the Knights of Columbus the
department brought secret order on the grounds
and thus committed and error 1t is not the policy
of the war; department to permit the secret orders
to have recreation club rooms about military
camps, and this is manifestly proper If that were
permitted, the soldiers would soon be taking orders
from their secret organizations instead of the con-
stitued military heads of the various departments
That would.destroy strict observance of military
order and discipline.
Strictly as religious body the Y. M. C. A. could
do no harm army encampment, but great
deal of good. Claiming the same rights the Knights
of Columbus might come in but this body would
violate the regulation with regard to secret orders.
Such aGonstituted body can have no house or rooms
within the five.mile limit
The government oil great country that apprec.
iates religious freedom as is the case in the United
States, can have preferences in the matter of
advantages for the one sect over another among the
soldiers! There must be no preference. If it re-
qures the removal of the Y. NJ. c. A. to get the
Knights of Columbus, let both go.
The Knights of Columbus have no right under
military laws, on the grounds and to remove this
body and its recreation rooms-to eliminate it as
within the meaning of military restrictions. the war
department has only to look upon it as the secret
order, or quasisecret order, that it is
1t is clear that the war department is not going
to permit the secret orders to have recreation rooms
about the camps. A ruling on this would simply
eliminate the Knights of Columbus We do not
think the wart department is trying to show pref
erence to the Catholics. And we know very we'll
there is going to be such widely general protest
that the Catholic order can do itself nor any
one else any good. The Knights of Columbus should
&C from the military camps.