Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-21
URGES KNIGHTS
TO PRAISE, NOT
CRITICISE Baker
States Attorney Floyd Thompson Ad.
dresses Banquet Of Columbian
Order at Harper.
Affair Held in Joint Initiation Ceremo.
MES Of Councils Of the Three
Cities.

Baker for the things he has done,
rather than criticise him." said States
Attorney Floyd Thompson, addressing
the knights of Columbus at their an
nual initiation banquet at the Harper
house last night.
Mr.. Thompson rendered most pa
triotic address His speech was fiery.
He was called upon to speak in the
place of j. j. Meyers of Cairo, Iowa.
who was Unexpectedly called to New
York
AT no time in the history Of the
world has so much been done in any
country as there has been in the
United States in the last few months"
said Mr.. Thompson "Our president
was right when he said in one of his
talks, We will fight and, God helping
us, we will win.' and he was right.
We will win. This war is the last
stand for either democracy or autoc-
racy, and when the war is over we will
find that it is the last stand for autoc-
racy
Il have never heard of member OF
the Knights of Columbus who has not
responded to his country's call and
done his bit We are at war not with
an individual, but with a principle
that is trying to take freedom away
from the liberty-loving peoples of the
world
NO man depends on what his an
cestors were, whether they were porch
climbers or pirates. Today we are
Americans and not halfAmericans.
You cannot be Irish-American, French
American or any-other-country-Am
can. You are either pure American
or you are not American at all. Amer
lea means to the peoples of the world
a principle and to the people OF this
country an establishment which lives
for its people When the individual
across the sea commences his crush
ing tactics, America could do nothing
else but protect its people and enter
this great conflict. When the Lusita-
MIA was blown up,we appealed to them
and continued to appeal, with what re-
suit? The Arabic was destroyed in
m.d-ocean. AMERICA, as a result of
continued destructive activities, said:
Mr. Kaiser and your gang, we must
stand for American rights and we
have.
SpcHkS VI futl VTucrs
ANY man who 'hollers' about this
five days that We are closed and fac
tories are shut down is not an Amer
lean. / did not know that our ships
containing supplies for our boys
across the sea were lying in harbors
without coal and that our boys were
suffering over there, some without
food or clothing. l did not know it
and you did not know 1t, but the gov
eminent did. The citizen who is will
ing to hoard up dollars and 'holler'
about the five-day closing order is not
q 100 per cent American. Whatever
Woodrow Wilson says is right, say
Is right. and every loyal American
citizen should say he is right We
will stand by Woodrow Wilson during
this war when 1t is for democracy and
our country. Love of country is the
greatest love Of any in the world. We
must sacrifice, that our boys may win
this war.
The greatest act ever passed in this
country was the selsctive service.
Young men who walked up to register
said. I am ready to fight for my coun-
try and offered their lives. Men who
have dependents here should stay be-
hind and provide for them, but think
while you are doing SO that you are
sending the next man in your place
and he is fighting for you and that II
is up to you to do your share to keep
not only that fellow provided for, but
to do all you can in this country that
the United States may come out OF
this conflict VIGOROUSLY.
'Mr. Kaiser has instilled in the
thoughts of his people that the United
States people are bunch Of savages
He has taught them to hate us since
they were little children; taught them
in school and in every way. When
they tempered with America they
found that they were tampering with
something and the wrong something
Hhe time has come when America must
end this war. and with the help oil
every loyal citizen and Gods help, we
will, and VIGOROUSLY"
Rev p. O'Neill was the first spcake,
on the program OF the evening and told
OF the work that the Knights of Column
bus Is doing in this present war. He
told Of the camps that are placed in
the various cantonments and how the
knights Of Columbus is watching and
taking care OF its boys who have gone
10 hight for their country and people
He stated that the camps are not only
for Catholics, but that every man
either Catholic or mont Catholic, is
made welcome. He told how the coun-
Try made the appeal to the Catholic
people and how they responded i'm
mediately. His talk was entirely cen.