The Irish standard., 1918-10-05
National Catholic
War Council
A Book Issued for the Purpose of Ac-
quaintina the Public With This
Great Body Which Directs and Con-
trolls All Catholic War Activities.

lie War Council has been published by
the Administrative Committee of Bish-
OBS. 1t has been written for the pur-
pose of describing the organization OF
this national body which directs and
controls, under the guidance OF the
Hierarchy, all Catholic activities in
the present war. The National Catho.
lie War Council was formed for
double purpose; first, to promote the
spiritual and material welfare of the
United States troops during the war
wherever they may be, at home or
abroad; and secondly, to study, CO.
ordinate, unity and put in operation
all Catholic activities incidental to the
war.
In outlining the work to be accom-
plished, the leaders of the National
Catholic War Council realized the ne
cessity of bringing the message OF
patriotic service into every Catholic
home. They saw likewise the neces-
sity of giving a firm direction to the
activities OF the Catholic forces Of the
nation in such a way that these might
cooperate with the Government to
their fullest extent in winning the
present war. Apart from this co-Ordl-
nation, there was also the necessity
of affording means for a systematic
study of the national problems and of
offering in national way cooperation
to the civic, social, moral and religious
agencies at work in the country for
this purpose.
1t may be said that no corporate
body in the United States was so easy
to adjust along rational lines than
the Catholic Church. The leaders of
the National Catholic War Council are
the fourteen Archbishops of the Unit
ed States, who act through an Admin
istrative Committee composed Of four
Bishops, Bishops Muldoon, Schrembs,
Hayes and Russell. With Bishop Null
doom as it's chairman, an executive
committee meets for the purpose of
discussing all national Catholic war
activities. This committee is COM
posed of the four Bishops, six men,
bers of the K. of c. War Council and
six members at large. There is also
a General Committee for the purpose
of discussing national questions when
ever the occasion arises. This General
Committee is composed of two repre-.
sentatives, one clerical and one lay,
from each Diocese, two representa-
tives from each national Catholic So
ciety, two representatives of the
Catholic press association, two repre-
sentatives of the Federation of Catho-
lie societies and such other members
at-large as the administrative commit
tee of Bishops may choose. The func-
lions of these different committees are
described and explained in the first
chapter of the handbook. With re-
gard to immediate war work on war
problems the National Catholic War
Council functions through three opera
visory finance committee, the commit
tee on special war activities and the
Knights of Columbus committee on
war activities. The advisory finance
committee has the duty of assisting
in all national drives for a war budget.
The committee on special war activi-
ties directs the work of the seven ma
tional standing committees. Under
the craftsmanship of the Rev. John ].
Burke, esp, these seven national
standing committees are at present
busily engaged upon their several du-
ties. In the offices at 930-932 Four.
teenth Street, Washington. D. c., are
representatives of each of these com
mittees and all problems of q national
character are being handled by the
chairmen and secretaries of the same.
These committees are: The commit
tee on finance for special war activi
ties, national committee on women's
activities, national committee on mems
activities, national chaplains' aid asso
citation, national committee on Catholic
interests, national committe on recon
struction and after-war activities and
the national committee on historical
records. The work Of these commit.
tees and the methods to be followed
in establishing similar ones for the
diocesan war councils are explained
In chapters and III of the handbook
Chapter II deals with the Catholic
army and navy chaplain bureau Of
which Bishop Hayes is the Bishop Or
binary. The handbook explains the
methods by which diocesan war coun
ellis may be formed and a detailed list
of suggestions is given for the CO
operative committees of the diocesan
war council:
The work of this national organiza
tion will be to bring into co-ordinated