The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-11-26
Private Soldiers
and Sailors Legion
Makes Strong Kick

Declaring that to use the $5,000,-
coo which the Knights of Columbus
recently. offered to the American
building in Washington would be a
moral breach of trust and act
Of injustice to the large number of
cases of unrelieved distress and suf-
fering among soldiers and their
families" Marvin Gates Sperry, Ma
tional President of the Private Sol
diers' and Sailors Legion, in a let
ter to James A. Flaherty, Supreme
Knight of the Knights of Columbus,
at Philadelphia, told Flaherty he
hoped the Knights would reconsider
the offer and "devote the money
to the humane and Christian pur-
poses for which it was intrusted to
them"
The American Legion officers are
scheduled to hold meeting in New
York City tomorrow to accept the
Knights offer, and the letter caused
a stif in Washington. President
Sperry's letter to Supreme Knight
Flaherty follows:
"The newspapers report that the
Knights of Columbus made a pro-
posal to the American Legion to
donate to that corporation $5,O00,-
900 collected for aid to the soldiers
of the United States during the
World War, and that this $5,000,000
was to be used to build a memorial
hall and headquarters building for
the American Legion at Washing
ton.
81 suggest to the Knights of Co.
lumbus, who propose to turn this
great sum of money over to the
American Legion for a Memorial
Hall and Headquarters Building
that this money was not donated to
the Knights of Columbus for any
| such purpose.
"From talking over the subject,
with many citizens and ex-service
men, l find they hold the same
| opinion, viz: That this money con-
tributed to the Knights of Columbus
during the war was for aid and re-
lief to our soldiers in those matters
which would not be reached and
cared for by regular military and
governmental agencies. AS we are
all aware there are many cases of
injury and distress that befell SOL
diers and their families during the
war and as results of the war,
which the army and the govern
mental agencies cannot and do not
reach. And it was for the relief
of such cases and conditions that
many million of dollars was freely
and generously given by the Ameri-
can people to the Knights of Co.
lumbus.
"To use this money for any other
purpose is moral breach of trust
and an act of injustice in large
number of cases of unrelieved dis
tress and suffering among soldiers
and their families solely for the aid
and relief of whom this money was
| given.
'To turn this money over to build
| great marble palace at Washing
ton for the American Legion is GER
tainly an indefensible diverting of
this money from the purpose for
which it was clearly intended.
"There still remains a great num-
| Der of cases of unrelieved injury,
| distress and suffering among the
victims of the war who are not
being reached and probably never
will be reached by any governmental
agony. Would it not be far more
just and humane, and in accord with
he merciful and generous intent of
those who gave this money that it
DE used for the aid of the helpless
victims of the war rather than for
the building of ostentatioos palaces
for the use of a wealthy corpora
ton like the American Legion?
81 trust the Knights of Columbus
will reconsider their action, and de-
vote the five million dollars ($5,000,-
000) to humane and Christian pur-
poses for which it was entrusted
to them"