Evening star., 1918-02-22
PRAISES AMERICAS
WAR PREPARATION
Mgr. Thomas Tells Knights of
Columbus It Has Been
Phenomenal.
is ANSWER TO CRITICS

Answering critics Of the administra-
tion at the Knights of Columbus me-
mortal mass at St Patricks Church this
morning, Mgr. Charles F. Thomas. pas
tor Of the church. declared Americas
preparation for war has been "phenom-
email"
Critics have been severe. Lethargy
was deep. Objections were numerous.
But the success has been phenomenal"
said Mgr. Thomas. "And there is no
reason to fear that our forces will not
be equal to the burden placed upon
them and will give glorious account
Of themselves on the day Of battle"
The speaker warned, however. that
there still is much to be done IL the
United States is to live on in the prin-
clples upon which it was founded. Con-
tinuing, he said:
THE cause is just and righteous Our
sanctuary has been violated, our rights
despised. our honor assailed. And our
champions have gone forth to avenge
the insult. It is incumbent upon every
man and woman who glories in the
name of American. who lives under the
protection Of American freedom and en-
joys the benefits of American liberty to
strengthen the arms of those cham-
pions. For unless they succeed America
no longer will be theshome of the brave
and the land OF the free"
Criticises the Pacifists.
Mgr. Thomas related how this coun-
try advanced steadily from the days Of
George Washington to its present FORE
most position in the world He raped
the pacifists, however, who imagine
America is impregnable.
Il think" said the pastor, that
many have been prone to rest salts
fed with the progress thus far OBJ
tained. OF to imagine that the great
ness Of the nation is SO strong that
one need not fear the peril of defeat
or the disaster Of subjugation. They
fold themselves up. as it were. in their
self-conceit and consider it impossible
for all the power and prestige of their
country to be1swept away and it's in
stitutions demolished"
Mgr. Thomas said that, while Amer
lea has effected a remarkable union of
states since the days of George Wash
ington, that union is now, to be per-
fected.
I'VE have not yet really become a
nation" he continued. There have
been many divergent interests among
US with many conflicting aims. There
are so many different nationalioies here
to establish themselves. We have been
a melting pot, and we have not yet
solved the problem. never before pre-
sented to a nation except the Roman
empire Of old, of amalgamating into
one nation members OF many nationali-
ties. Perhaps this emergency has arisen
precisely to teach us this union"
Mass in Honor Of Dead.
Mgr. Thomas told the knights that no
group Of Americans responded more
enthusiastically or with more unselfish
action to the call to arms than their
organization. The mass was in honor
of all the dead of the order. and the
several councils of the Washington as
sembly attended the service in force.
Following the mass the knights went
to their hall in E street near 9Th street
northwest. where service nag of $50
stars was blessed by Mgr. Thomas and
Haunted from the top of the hall Leo
A. Rover, state deputy of the order for
Washington, spoke as the flag was be-
ing raised. The mass was celebrated by
Rev. Peter Guilday of Catholic Uni
versity. assisted by Father Landrigan
as deacon and Father Shepherd as sub
deacon