The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-11-04
AMERICA VOICED
SPIRIT OF VICTORY
Through Her Soldiers She Has Done
What No Other Nation Has Done in
This War-Carried the At
mosphere of Home Into
the Camps.
(By James Cardinal Gibbons

BY James Cardinal Gibbons.
America, through her soldiers in
France, has voiced the spirit that leads
to victory. They are our sons and broth
ers; flesh of our flesh, and the spirit that
inspires them inspires us also. We have
sent them across the sea to ight--but
we have in heart and in soul gone with
them. We are determined that they
should know that the people at home are
fighting with them, standing with Them
shoulder to shoulder. America in this
war has done what no other nation ever
did. She has carried the presence, the
atmosphere of home into the camps
across the seas, that everywhere the sol.
dier may realize there are fatherly hands
to help him, motherly hands to console
him, friendly hands to entertain him.
Into this splendid work of sustaining
the morale of our fighting men, of max
ing them realize that we, their loved
ones, are ever with them, the great So
cial organizations of American have
thrown themselves generously. They are
again about to appeal to the American
people for the financial support necessary
w vail ph bulS Nolha Iudl WUth 10 vi
single character, as expressed by the
secretary of war, the recreational work
for the men of our army and navy All
these seven organizations now stand
upon one platform that of providing
recreation, entertainment and home com
fort for our troops. From that common
platform, all, together with one voice,
will make single appeal to the Amer
lean people.
These seven organizations--the Ma
tional Catholic War council, which in
cludes the knights of Columbus and 9th
er war activities; the Young Mems Chris
tan association, the Young Womens
Christian association, the Jewish We'll
fare board, the Salvation Army, the
American Library association, the War
Camp Community service-have agreed
by direction of the government upon
definite budgets and all are working un-
der a general national committee, upon
which all are represented for united
war work campaign to raise the sum of
SIG, 100000
Enormous as that sum may be, the
American people will raise generous
ly and gladly. When one considers an
VI ONtt HsoOOtVbUs navy THAT mus
tiers over 100000 men in its service the
number and size of our camps; the build
ings to be erected the secretaries to be
maintained; the equipment to be fur
nished; the visitors houses to be built;
the community service to be extended
into every city and town of the country,
the protective work most necessary and
vital for all our people, which this war
has given to us as our share to maintain.
one will see that the sum is none too
great for this enormous task. We can
not shirk it. We cannot shift it. To at
tempt to do so would be to prove false
to the men who are giving their bodies
and their lives for our national safety.
1t is an American campaign. It's app
peal is one that no American may refuse
and Americas answer will be another
triumphant announcement that we are
in this war as one people and as one ma
tion to see it through to victory.
The National Catholic War council is
one of the seven organizations that have
united under the government for the
raising of this fund This means that
the entire Catholic church of this coun.
try is to summon to the service of our
lNVhhhaN al IA ASHtuittsS 10 Nuice again
in corporate expression the unexcelled
patriotism that has ever distinguished
her. Hundreds of thousands of her chill.
dren are in the ranks Of our army and
navy. u
The Knights of Columbus have built
halls of recreation, furnished secretaries
supplied equipment for entertainments Of
all kinds in our camps at home. They
have sent their secretaries by hundreds
ACROSS the seas and there they labor at
points of debarkation and right up to the
firing line, assisting, comforting, gladden.
ing the hearts of our soldiers
We have carried the work of the Ma
tional Catholic War council through the
country Every Catholic society has of
fered its members for personal service
and opened its club buildings to our sol.
diers and sailors. We have created Wis
itors' houses within the camps for the
comfort of mother and sister and all the
women who visit their beloved ones. We
have erected community service clubs
We have carried our protective work for
young women, both in camps, in the large
cities and industrial centers.
The entire Catholic body of the coun-
try is organized to crown this campaign
with victory. Every diocese has har-
messed its own resources, will work with
the state committee Of the United War
Work campaign and give the utmost
service.