Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1920-10-09
- - =.
X. OF c.
Tender Magnificent Memorial Build
ing As Gift to the American
Legion.
War Relief Balance of Five Million
For Headquarters in Nations
Capital.
If the Legion Lapses tho Title
VIII Revert to the
Nation.
KNIGHTS GROWN BIG RECORD.

Five million dollars, the balance
OF the knights of Columbus war re-
lief fund, will be offered to the
American Legion for the purpose of
building an American Legion head.
quarters in Washington. The de-
cision to make the offer was reach.
ed Sunday evening at a meeting Of
the Knights of Columbus Board of
Directors in Chicago. Now that the
knights have made provision for.
their general reconstruction work
they are able to make this offer Of
the largest amount ever given for a
similar purpose. .etT 15
The Knights, in their formal
statement, declare that they received
approximately $4,000, 900 from
members of the organization and the
general public for welfare work.
that in providing camp buildings.
service stations, secretaries ard
chaplains' services and free creature
comforts for service men during the
war and in maintaining nationwide
systems of free employment bureaus
and vocational schools and pfovidS
ing approximately 500 college schos-
arships for war veterans, they heve
fulfilled the wishes of the donors Of
the fund.
The knights offer the legion
$6,000,000 for the endowment, erec-
ton and equipment of the building
on suitable site in Washington, 10
be obtained by the American Legion.
preferably by act of Congress. There
Is to be an auditorium in the build
Ing capable of accommodating from
10000 to 10000 persons. This viii
meet an urgent public need in the
capital" the Knights add, where
there Is no hail Of such capacity.,'
"A committee has arranged 10 meet
Col Galbraith, head of the legion.
) IN New York within few days 10
make the proposition to him, but he
has not yet been informed of the
proposed gift.
In the building quarters are to be
provided for the G. A. r. and Span
ish War veterans, and for q perma-
nent exhibit of war trophies. The
building is to be devoted as far as
possible to the public welfare after
the pattern of the Civic Auditorium
In San Francisco, and to promote
permanent interest In the army and
navy. The auditorium and halls are
to be free to the. public as far as
practicable.
Title to the building will be vest
ed solely in the American Legion,
the building to be governed by a
Board of Trustees. The endowment
fund of 100000 from the income
of which the building will be main
tanned will be governed by an en-
tirely separate committee.
In conclusion, the Knights state
that the offer is open to the Ameri-
can Legion up to July 1, 1921. If
the legion should, by any possibility,
cease to exist, the title to the build
ing and land will revert to the ma
tion for such purposes as the United
States Senate shall determine.
Since returning from their Euro
pean pilgrimage the knights are
unanimous in declaring that the
French Government and people
showed them unexampled hospital
ity. Thirty governmental decorations
were given to the knights, including
two Commanders of the Legion of
Honor and four Chevaliers. Pope
Benedict broke all precedent by
naming Supreme knight Flaherty a
Commander of the Order of st.
Gregory personally from the Papal
throne. Marshals Foch, Petain and
Joffre, Gems. Mangin, Lyautey, Ber-
tholet and other famous French
fighting men personally directed the
Knights over the battlefields. Pre-
mier Millerand and his Cabinet per-
sonally welcomed the Knights, and
everywhere they met with the most
cordial and spontaneous welcome
from clergy and people. Each city
visited gave the Knights memorials
of their visit. Pope Benedict gave
each Knight specially struck
medal, while twelve were made citi-
zens of Paris. Through the Knights
Marshal Foch forwarded greetings
to all the men of The American
army, whom he hopes to see on his
forthcoming visit to the United