Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1920-05-01
Version of Disputes With War De-
partment and Other Welfare
Agencies.
Attempts Made to- Prevent Giving
Away Creature Comforts to
the A. f.. Il.
VIII Garry on Their Free Educa-
tional Work For Former
Fighters.
DISPOSES OF POLITICTL BOGEY

Revelations of acute differences
and heated debatings on the sub
iect of welfare work during the war
and after the signing of the armis-
tice are contained in the Official his
tory of the X. of G. by Maurice
Francis Egan and John b. Kennedy.
just published by the organization
at its headquarters in New Haven.
The book Is in two volumes and is
called Knights of Columbus in Peace
and War. Under the chapter head
ing, "Hewing to the Line" the
knights give their official version of
their various disputes with the War
Department and other welfare agen-
cies. While the public staunchly
supported the various war drives,
approving the apparent harmony of
operation, vigorous differences of
opinion as to the spending of the
collected money were INDUCED in.
Frequent attempts were made to
prohibit the Knights from giving
away the creature comforts popular
with the men of the A. e. f., and
at one time the knights were YER
bally ordered to stop these gifts or
quit France. They replied that if
the order was made a written order
under the signature of the Com
handing General they would obey il
and retire from the a. +. F. The
written order was never given.
There were disputes as 10 how the
organization should be grouped in
drives-the Knights insisting that
all go out for money together or not
ut all; there were even disputes as
20 who should manage minor ath-
etic events. But at this stage of
the work. according to the X. {.
book, the Knights declined to argue
and went ahead with whatever pro-
gramme they had arranged. The
book. however, charges that official
interferehces INSTRUCTED much good
work.
The Knights, according to their
official history, operated their relief
work throughout with a view to
avoiding a second general drive for
funds. This they succeeded in do
ing, despite their policy of giving
everything away. They steadfastly
declined to eNpend any of the funds
entrusted to them on matters be-
yond the scope of their plea to the
public, even though urgent appeals
were made to them in Europe. They
ended the war with $1,000, 900 in
hand, and after apportfoning suffi-
cient money to sustain the 502|
scholarships they have awarded ex-
service men, they have $1,000 900
to carry on their free educational
work for former fighters.
The book shows that. from an
organization of eleven men in 1882.
when the order originated in New
Haven, the Knights now number
$4,000 The Knights had raised
and expended more than $4,000, 900
on various forms OF educational and
relief work before the war The
book also shows that in the begin
ming the Knights were regarded
with suspicion and even opposed by
fellow-Catholics. but that they over
came all difficulties through their
works of benevolence. Among other
things the X. c. history disposes of
the bogery of a Catholic political
combination, demonstrating that
Catholics do not act as a unit in
political matters. An interesting
war fact is that the X. c. adopted
the American suggestion of the
English Salvation Army, achieved
the worlds record for doughnut-
baking by making more than 5000
600 doughnuts for the Army OF Dc