The Irish standard., 1918-01-26

DeS MONIES ana private fIannery-
Masses Well Attended-Many X. of
c. Men Attend Initiation Ceremonies
of Des Moines council-capt. Neil
cronin Among the Speakers ~ No
Yellow Streak Among Soldiers, Says
Chaplain.
Camp Dodge, Iowa, Jan. 81, 1918.
To the Editor Irish Standard:
Activities during the past week were
staged mainly at Building No. 2. This
building is the favorite haunt of the
Depot Brigade, Ordnance unit, which
looks upon it as home. Large crowds
congregate there each night and when
formal programs are not given, the
boys entertain themselves.
Sunday afternoon, under the direc-
ton of Lieutenant Cakes, we'll bal
anced program of music, singing, etc.,
was rendered. Monday night was
known as New York night, when the
boys from the Empire State, under the
management of Private Leo V. Kee-
| Thursday evening an impromptu con-
cert was given by Mrs. Cornell, of
Des Moines, ably assisted by Private
Flannery, of Detroit, Michigan. At
the main building the weekly feature
boxing and wrestling-command
large attendance. The elimination
contests in the various weights prov
ed the attraction. At Building No. 3
the band of the Forty-second Infan-
try held forth. This is weekly at
traction. and is proving quite a favor
lite amongst the boys.
Sunday seven Masses were celer
brated the attendance being up to
standard and the number of commun-
ions two hundred. The X. of G. ini-
day, were attended by about one hun
dred and fifty of the boys in khaki.
1t is estimated that about thirty per
cent of our Catholic boys at Camp
Dodge are knights of Columbus. The
program following the banquet was
in the main, representative of the
Camp. Lieutenant Father Higgins,
in, responded to toasts. Privates
Campbell and Flannery, both of De-
troit, sang themselves into the hearts
of the audience, and were forced to
respond to several encores. The Des
Moines Register had the following in
it's Monday morning issue:
"Privates Allan G.. Campbell and
dience with their solos and duets, and
responded to frequent encores, and the
postmaster seemed to express the
sentiment of the audience when he
said that Privates Campbell and Elan
merry would surely sing themselves
into the hearts of the enemy and melt
the heart of the Hun with song when
they went 'over there"
Chaplain McDermott gave an inter-
esting account of the work that is
being done under the auspices of the
knights at Camp Dodge for the ply
steal, social and spiritual welfare of
the enlisted men. knights of Column
bus Hall, Everyone Welcome" is the
motto, he said, on each of their three
buildings at Camp Dodge.
"No distinction is made on account
of creed" said the chaplain. eve
don't even draw the color line. Men
of all creeds and no creed had been
welcomed and helped, socially and
spiritually" he said, land athletics
had received special attention on the
| social side, and boxing and wrestling
had become favorite recreation"
The chaplain emphasized the spiri-
tual side of the work at Camp Dodge
as the principal means of safeguarding
the manhood and morals of the men,
The army he said, was 40 per cent
Catholic, and the better the Catholic
the better the soldier, he affirmed to
be true of the knights.
catholics have been trained in the
| Importance of obedience and know
what it stands for, and when our men
are ordered to go over the top they
will face death promptly and cheer
fully. There will be no yellow streak,
it can't be there" he declared.
"The work of the knights in the
army increased its morals and helped
the men lead clean, pure lives, and
the cleaner the man the better the
soldier"
Captain Cronin paid a brief tribute
to the G. A. R. and as an introduction
to his remarks on the work of the
young grand army" with its hertz
age of 1776 and 1861, that the country
is now sending and must continue to
send over there.
| Fraternally yours,
PATRICK N. McDERMOTT,
X. of G. Post Chaplain,
Camp Dodge, Iowa.