Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-29
K OF (. HOLDS PATRIOTIC GEL EZRA TON
White Cross Council Unfus Large Service Flag in Honor of Members in the Service-Mayor Allyn L. Brown and Rev. w. A. Keefe Principal Speakers Gathering in Sunlight Building

one of ten times ten thousand proofs | that the Catholic citizens of America | take second place to no citizens in l their devotion to the democratic ideals
 and the glory of the Star Spangied l Banner of this mightiest and freest Republic in the World.
 It is one of the saddes1 and son1e- times most discouragiug facts that ! while newspapers and Individuals are olamoring for unity of action and and priests and intelligent laiety of i the Catholic chYrch in America are working heroicalIy for American vic- | tory. we Catholics are insulted in the columns of our daily papers with the 1 insfnuation that our patriotism and our loyalty to America aI> Ho be doubted. Only few days ago the daily papers quoted an insignificant Pope is anti-al1y. A few days be- fore that New York pa pers published a series of insuations against the loy- atty of Catholics. When we read these i charges in otherwise decent papers we often wonder how long the pa- triotic American is going to stand for it. The man or woman organization or newspaper that dares to insult the Catholic American soldier or sailor in whose honor this or any other service flag is unfurled or to doubt their pa- triotisn1 because of their fidelity to the church of Columbus and Barry and
 
 Rear Admiral Benson, should be ar rested as a traitor and dealt with as g. seoundril in time of war, just the same as the Catholic or non Catholic who tries on any other pretext to sow dissention and cripple the government when all are bound to stand shoulder to shoulder and heart to heart with Woodrow Wilson for Americas vic- torp over German tyranny. When the childless e.atf-Catholic oours out his. poison and challenges our patriotism we may proudly ask him to compare the number of stars on his service flag with those on the thousands of ser = vice flags that are today flying over Catholic churchE and society btIld- ings and homes V every state of the Union. With Patrick McGsunigle, the first American to receive the badge of honor in the American navy during this war and Lieut.. Fitzsimrnons, a K. of c. among the fast of our soldiers killed in France and Private Hinchey of St. Joseph's Catholic parish of Bris- tol among the first Connecticut. Mar tyrs to the cause during this war, the sons of our church, members of the K. of c. make up large Eroportio1-a of the heroes of our army and navy. We are proud of them and we pray every day that with malice toward none and charity for all, they may be every where and always exernp1ars of piety and patriotism. President Wilson Our Leader.
 During the war the Ce1t and the Teuton the Slave and the Scandina- vian-the Catholic and Protestant and Jew and unbeliever-tl1e: millionaire. and the poor man, are to be enlisted in the same company, eat at the same table, sleep in the same tent, obey the same orders. and wear the same kind of uniform: Race troubles. religious troubles, labor troubles, politics, must all be laid aside. In civic duty Pres ident Wilson is our leader, the Star spangled Banner is ou. Standard, and the freedom of America and her allies are the prizes for which we are fight :. ing.
 The Service Flag reminds us of oth- CT things besides the patriotism Of the boys in whose honor it is unfur1ed. It brings to our minds the tears and sadness that attend the yonng sof- diers' departure from Home Sweet Home-the hardships and loneliness. and terrible temptations that life in military camps involves. It tells of thousands of sick and dying in army hospitals. far from friends. of mill lions wounded and dying on the battle fields and of others doomed to drag in blindness around our cities dur ing the years to come. This flag in a word brings to our minds sad real izatior of the horrors that our sol- diers are to endure for us. They are sons of our families. defenders of our homes, martyrs to the peace and lib- erty of our country. When they come back home honared as 100 per cent. patriots, let them not charge us with having been only 50-5o patriots. Let the service flag be a perpetual re- hinder that we must also make sacri- fees and work hard for the boys at the front if we hope to win the war. As the soldiers and sailors lead on to victory on the firing lines, so let ev- ery one back home spare neither time nor toll nor treasure in behalf of the land of the free and the home of the brave.
 It is most fitting that the K of C.. should unfurl a service flag. Our great organization has won the everlasting esteem of the people of the whole world for it's countless services to all the defenders of American liberty, ir- respective of creed or race. By pro- yiding places of legitimate recreation free from moral and other dangers in the camps the K. of c. has not only afforded pleasure to thousands of our boys but they have protected tI1en1 from moral evils that have done more harm to unfortunate victims than all the guns. of the German army. Who can measure the consolatiZ1 that. the K. of c. have afforded to countless American mothers when they pro- tected her boy and guaranteed him the ministration of his church. Who can ed by priests whom the K. of c. send to camps and hospitals and battle fields ! When you see this service flag give heed to it's appea, in behalf of other camp funds. The boys are giv- ing their lives for you. How much have you given for them -sss.<
 The service. flag ought te, be an efo- quent appeal in behalf Of the nnagnff1- cent work of the Red Cross society Mgr Duggan Of the Cathedral of Hartford asserted last Sunday that not half the people are doing their duty to the Red Cross Why not sew for your own boys? We can never do naHf] enough for them.
 Every time we see a servfce nag let boys; work for the boys, make sacrf- fees for the boys-let our pfety in their behalf and our patriotism in their to noble, united, glorious service for the cause for which our boys arc lighting, suffering. and dying.
 The Flag Unfurfsd.