The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-08-16
ADDRESS OF ADMIRAL BENSON

not fight because the war was agains
a Catholic country. That was not SO
And there was no better demonstra
ton of the neutrality of the Holy Sc,
than in the present war.
Work of the Knights.
In our country the Knights of CO
lumbus have made a wonderful i'm
preston upon the people. They have
been brought in contact with hun
dreds of thousands of soldiers, and
doubt if any of the men of the $500,
600 that were enrolled but that left
the service with very different feel
ing towards the Knights of Columbus
and towards the Church.
| Confusion exists everywhere. There
are various ways in which that con
dition can be changed. | was talking
with congressman the other day and
he said number of years ago there
was only one Catholic in Congress
and today there are about 80, and this
thought occurred to me. Of course,
we cannot and we should not get
mixed in politics except to this ex-
tent: that we should be careful that
wherever Catholic man is elected or
considered for prominent or any
public position, that he is a man that
purely eXemplifies and will live up
to the principles of the Catholic
Church.
One Of the greatest injuries that
has been done to the Church in Amer
lea has been done through petty ward
politics, and the bringing into promi-
nent positions of men who were So
called Catholics but were not really
so. 1t has been one of the greatest
difficulties that the Church has had
how I can adequately express my pity
if not contempt for any man who calls
himself a Catholic and does not live
up to the rules and teachings of the
Church. Therefore, when you con-
template a person for an important
office, if he be not what he claims as
Catholic he has no right to be sup
ported.
Next September | will retire from
the active service after AZ years of
very active life. l assumed my pres
ent duties May IL, 1915. My office has
organized and put into operation the
organization which carried the United
States navy through the great war.
We instituted and carried into execu-
ton all the problems and various
phases of the war so far as the navy
was concerned in America and Eu-
rope. The successes Of that organiza-
ton and of the various problems we
had to meet speak for themselves, and
l would not mention them except that
[ feel in a certain way that you are
entitled to know what I have done
because you have seen fit to honor me-
Wherever | have been, in the camps
in this country or in cities and towns
overseas, have been impressed with
the knights of Columbus have rem
dered service to the men of the army
and navy. They have served all we'll
and without ostentation. | must say
that | am proud of their achievements
as a relief agency and sure of the
success of the magnificent educational
which they now propose
to launch as their vigorous contribu-
ton to the forces aligning against the
of anarchy.
Word for the Press.
And, before closing. | must say one
word in praise of the American press.
| doubt whether men of the peculiarly
and professionally curious nature de-
veloped by journalism, and especially
by American journalism, have ever
exercised so great self
restraint as the American correspond
ents at the peace conference. Know
ing many important and vital facts,
they willingly refused to disclose
them, even when it might have meant
professional prestige and even when
journalists of other countries were
sending facts broadcast throughout
their countries. Sterling patriotism
inspired this self-restraint, and our
journalists should be given credit