The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-05
PEACE CONVENTION OF
X. OF c. THIS WEEK
over 900 Delegates, Representing
100000 Members, Have AS
sembed In Buffalo.


Buffalo, n. Y, Aug. 24.-Oyer 5oo
delegates. representing 100000 mem
beers of the Knights of Columbus in
the United States, Canada, Newfound
land. Mexico, Cuba, Porto Rico, the
Canal Zone and the Philippines, ar
rived in this city by Monday evening
TO attend the 37th annual convention
-stayIed the peace conventional
the Knights OF Columbus. This con
vention succeeds the prophetic vic
tory convention held by the knights
last year in New York.
At this peace convention the knights
will 20 over the top" against l'olshe
Visrn. and all other .orms OF extreme
radicalism or any movement threaten
ing American institutions. Having
aided with distinguished success the
cause of the United States in the war
both in this country and abroad, the
organization Is now going at null
speed putting into operation a nation
wide educational program-an I'M
mense chain OF supplementary
schools. Just what this program con-
tains will be laid before the big peace
convention which commences at
Buffalo on Wednesday,.
Last week a conference OF New
York educators drafted the c edu-
cational plan at the Hotel Commo-
dore in New York city. The gather
ing represented some OF the most
eminent educators of the country.
! The problems, plan and operation OF
the educational scheme has been en-
tirely left in their hands, and accord
ing to James A. F'laherty supreme
knight of the X. of c., no small de-
tail in insuring its success and popu'
larity has been overlooked.
That all the pernicious "isms" viii
meet a formidable foe in the knights
of Columbus can be readily forecast
when one glances over the report OF
William J. Mckinley, supreme secre-
tary of the organization, whose re.
mort for the year ON the activities OF
the New World Knights will be
one of the most interesting docu-
ments to be laid before the peace
convention. Some of its most salient
noints are: That the organization
will. at the present rate OF growth,
have about million members by the
first of the year 1920; the new mem
bership is coming from the army and
navy. despite the fact that during
the months of activities with the
troops and sailors the knights did not
try because there was rigid rule
against so doing to propagate the
merits and benefits of their organiza-
tior.
The finances, according to Secre-
tary Mckinley, are in highly salts
factory condition. The present as
sets. exclusive OF the special war
fund, total over $500 300 The
total death benefits paid during the
year amounted to $2,175, 6959S, max.
ing a total since the beginning of the
order of S13.123.646. The Total in
surance in force this year amounts to
$161,353 56533. The influenza
scourge cost the Knights of Column
bus in payment to beneficiaries of in
sured members $1,149,000.
The educational program to be
launched by the knights is for the
100000 members and others no mem
bers who may wish to take advant-
age of the courses. The system OF
night schools will extend from the AT
lantic to the Pacific, and from the
Canadian borderland to the Rio
Grande. The chief aims will be to
teach practical citizenship, and to
give courses in executive, technical
and cultural training that will guar
antee a solidarity of citizenship of
such proportions that Bolshevism and
socialism and other "isms" will be-
come subdued-