Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-03-01
WAR ACTIVITIES OF
KNIGHTS COL UMBUS
Official Report Shows Vast Scope
of Operations; Seven Million
Dollars Of War Fund Left.

The oificialsreport OF their reconstruc-
hon activities for the IL months ending
February Is, l920-the anniversary OF
the date when this phase of their work
was nationally extended-has been issued
by the knights of Columbus. Ii shows
that while the war camp work of the
X of G.. did not officially end until Mo-
yember l, when the organization obeyed
the War Department order by with
drawing from the camps, the organization
had since late last winter been eifecting n
gradual conversion Of its camp personnel
and mode of operation to its Aow nation
wide reconstruction work.
The end of the work in the camps found
the Knights with a balance OF approxim-
ately 81, O0O, 900 Of their war fund left and
budgeted for reconstruction work-this
notwithstanding the fact that throughout
their war work they had had no revenue in
the shape of fees for goods or services from
the men in the service, as their policy,
from start to finish, had been everything
free"
Tho knights system of employment
bureaus, handled by staff Of between
nine and ten hundred secretaries who were
given the cooperation of the orders z, 600
councils. The Knights employed more
than $50 former service men at 81 and So
per day over periods varying from one to
three months-and these job canvassers
were the most successful in locating OPP
portunities. More than 3OO,O former
service men were placed in civilian en-
ployment by the knights at cost OF
substantially less than 81 per placement.
X. Of c. vocational training, initiated
IN the domestic camps, reached the point
where $4,000 men were enrolled in the
various courses. The knights equipped
the schools IN the camps, supplying teach
SIS and textbooks. When the order came
for withdrawal from the camps the
Knights had so camp schools in operation,
the equipment of which they turned over
10 the military authorities without COM
pensation.
Uncertain Of the prospects of civilian
ioed vocational schools for former service
men the knights made the initial ex-
periemcnt without reference to their war
fund, appropriating $4,000 of their
private funds for the work. The plan,
calling for supplementary schools in large
cities for both ex-seryice men and women
civiians-for the former free Of all
charges and for the latter at nominal
fess-was lnstantaneously successful. To-
day so k-C schools are in operation, with
total enrolment of los, 900 pupils New
York has four. with an enrolment OF
1900, Boston one with 5000 pupils;
Buffalo one, with 1900; Chicago, st.
Louis, Louisville, Pttsburg Philadelphia,
Washington and most of the other large
cities. The movement has grown rapidly
In the West. where San Francisco, Spo-
kane, Portland and Los Angeles have
flourishing schools, while in the South,
New Orleans, Nashville, Augusta. Savan-
nah and other cities have prosperous
schools. As the schools are growing at the
rate Of three per week, and as male and
female pupils are enrolling continuously IN
large numbers, it is difficult TO assign
definite cost to the system; but It is
ex-service man sufficient training IN
telegraphy, acetelyne-
welding. accountancy, stenography, etc,
within three TO four months at 8 cost vary
ing from $50 to $50. The most popular
II. of G. course is auto-nechanics 81, 900
men and women being enrolled in this.
The *. of &. service men s college schol
arships, Of which there are $40 after final
of students, will cost approx
lmately $4,000 per year. The knights
have predicated sums Ia provide for the
fulillnent of these scholarships in what
ever contingency may arise.
Overhead is q negligible factor in the /!
cost OF the reconstruction work, as one |
staff suffces for employ |
nent and educational work and the high |
est executives-James A. Flaherty, SUI
preme knight; Joseph c. Pelletier, SD |
preme advocate; William j. Mckinley, |
supreme secretary. and Daniel j. Gala /
han, supreme treasurer, serve without |
post % the fund.
The Knights now contemplate the es-
OF & nationwide employ |
nent and information service for the |
agricultural communities.