The Republican journal., 1919-10-09
Church REVIEWS
AID TO NATION
Catholic War Work of the Past
Promises Future Usefulness
to Uncle Sam.
MILLION WORKERS ENLISTED.
From the War Front to Every Corner
Council Helps Our Cause.

ference of the entire hierarchy Of the
Catholic Church in this country, that
has been called in Washington to con-
slider the past and future work of the
National Catholic War Council, the
leaders of this nationwide welfare or
ganization have outlined record of
war work that extends from the front
lines in France to the furthest cor
ners of this country. They have also
Indicated comprehensive lines along
which the full force of the millions of
workers enlisted in their various activ-
tiles at home and overseas may be
turned to the aid of the government
In the trying times of reconstruction
ahead.
In summarizing the war work of its
Committee on Special War Activities.
In a recent report to the Administra-
tive Committee of the National Catho-
lie War Council, the following resume
of some of the things undertaken and
carried out by this organization has
Just been presented:
I'VE have co-ordnated and brought
into a common service 10000 Catholic
mems organizations throughout the
country. This cooperation insures our
ability, which has been tested more
than once, to meet the great opportu-
mites that present and will present
themselves. These mems organiza
tons are used to conduct service clubs
for men, to supply workers in many
fields of endeavor, to cooperate with
governmental agencies
conditions at the beginning of the
war revealed the fact that the activity
of Catholic women had no national
expression, no recognition. The
Committee on Special War Activities
has within the ten months of its eX-
istence co-ordinated into national ac-
tivity the thousands Of Catholic wo-
mems organizations of the country it
has established women's clubs through
out the country; it is sending Catholic
women into every field of social work
it is giving them the opportunity of
service in the visitors houses.
I'm like manner we secured recog-
milton for Catholic women in over
seas work. That we might train them,
we established a training school FOR
women with its own faculty. There is
ready to receive them home in Paris
and two representatives Of the Nation
al Catholic War Council, Mr. Dene-
chaud and Mrs. Stocks Millar The
work of women abroad will continue
for at least eighteen months to come,
and We are in Il position to extend it
tn other countries. The Catholic wo-
men of the country have responded to
this opportunity in q wonderful way.
The resources at our command are
rich. All that is needed is training
and leadership.
LAS early as April 10, 1918, the sub
committee on Reconstruction was APP
pointed. This committee gave diligent
attention for months and anticipated
in surprisingly accurate way the
problems of reconstruction. We have
assisted in shaping the Government
conduct of the problem of relief and of
voca iOnal training. Our workers are
placed in the reconstruction hospitals
throughout the country Dependent
upon these men is the future education
of the wounded man and the college
to which he is sent and in what he is
to be educated at the expense of the
Government. We are officially coop
Grating with the Federal Board of Vo-
cational Training and with the United
States Employment Service, Through
the Committee on Special War Activi-
ties is published series of pamphlets
on Reconstruction the first Of which
was All official pronouncement of the
Administrative Committee of Bishops.
The Committee has likewise taken
up the work of supplying through our
Catholic hospitals free clinical service
for soldiers and sailors and their fami-
lies and is extending this in co-opera-
ton with the Red Cross Home Service
to all the larger cities of the country.
The same extension has provided us
with an opportunity to have and EN-
ploy the clinical woman social worker
1t is not too much to say that our work
III heCoilStluclicU pays ledullS part,
and the heads Of Government Depart
ments have told US explicitly that they
have been aided more by the advice
and help of the National Catholic War
Council than by any other Organiza
ton.
Born Of the emergency that neces-
Stated the full cooperation and corpO-
rate service of the entire Catholic body
OF America, the National Catholic War
Council has been officially recognized
by the Government and has made en-
during the great record of Catholic
patriotic service. 1t has devOlved in a
special way on the Committee on Spe-
cial War Activities to do the pioneer
work of cO-Ordinating the mems organ
iZations and of practically creating a
national WOman's organization that
would give the Catholic women of the
country rightful place in war welfare
work The record Of achievement that
this report shows, slight as it may be,
is nevertheless sure evidence of what
the entire Catholic body of the coun-
try under the leadership of the Bish-
ops can do in time of peace"
n