The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-08-02
International Convention of Knights of Columbus Opens
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grateful world has bestowed upon them They come with the high purpose of greater service, of greater aid to those who need.
 The striking thing in the great war record is not alone the help they rendered unto the cause, but more leaders fostered, and which put to the test made them capable of great things they actually accomplished. It is today this same spirit of chivalry. makes them gather to themselves in . the schools the boys who fought in order that our soldiers may be in . time of peace capable of better and higher service.
 .-It is the same high spirit that has touched the hearts of the followers of Columbus and has turned their kind ly attention to the maimed, the most deserving have not received that measure of attention which their sacrifices have merited.
 we, therefore, of San Francisco done such deeds in the past. men who promiese such mighty service in the future-we beg a special blessing upon this gathering. we ask a new above all things we pray that the mo- ble spirit that has animated them in the past may grow, and increase unto the perfect day for the healing
 
 the cause, and the honor and joy of our country.
 'tOur duty is plain. It is the first direct assignment that any body of Head of the Church. We have already directed K. of C. Commissioner Ed ward L. Hearn of New York to pro- ceed to Rome to advise with His Holiness on the introduction of the work. In Italy we shall not only carry on American welfare work for Italians, but also for the benefit of Americans visiting Italy and espec- &DS emigration to America
 MT. Flaherty announced that Mar sha1 Foch had definitely accepted the invitation of the Knights of Co., mmbus to be their guest at 9 great patriotic demonstration in Chicago on November 6. He also announced that the K of c. had undertaken the pub hcation of a national monthly maga zine Columbiad, to be dedicated exclu- sfvely to Americanization history, lit erature and Social Service. The mag azine, which had President Hardings' endorsement, had a circulation of 750,00O with its first issue, he said.
 He stated that the K. of c. had de- fnitely declined to introduce its or snnizatiRp nin andn into EsaS Bgr0ps 6sdE nth9ggh and Austria had appealed for K. of c. councils
 Striking the keynote of the thirty ninth annual international convention of the Knights of Columbus, Supreme Knight James A. Flaherty of Phila- delphia, before thousands of delegates and visitors representing the K. of c. organization in the United States and it's possessions, Canada, Newfound- land, Mexico, Cuba and Panama, de- clared today that the S0O.000 mem bers of the Knights of Columbus had gathered to rededicate themselves to | service exclusively in the interests of their country.
 He stated that the K. of c. had en- joyed the most prosperous and effec- | tive year in its history and that its 1 chief activities to be planned and | launched at the San Francisco meet | ing were the campaign to spend the i S5,000,000 balance of the K. of c. war l fund on hospitalilation work for dis | abled veterans; the initiation of the l K. of c. American history work and the inauguration of the Knights an ti-tuberculoSis campaign. ABeSideS which, a committee of ma tic .lally-known educators was present he said, to lay before the convention plans for the immediate launching of the largest correspondence school in America to be conducted by the K. of c. for the benefit of former service men desiring technical training.
 Let us organize throughout the land an army of Catholic women to CO., operate with us, to remind the ma toin that the war is not over so long 1 as there is a healab1e scar on the | body or in the mind of any veteran" he said. By this work we are not l only fulfilling the terms of the stew 1 ardship we accepted at the hands of | the American public when Catholic | and non-Catholic committed $40,O00,- | 900 to our care, but we are doing the ! simple duty of active citizens and i paying our debt of pra ctical gratitude we owe to our defenders"
 Supreme Knight F1aherty made !! public an appeal received from Pope !! Benedfct for the K. of c. to in trodnce American welfare work into ! Haly, to stimulate friendship between i faith of Italian youth. He announced | that the Knights would raise at least | $1 ,ooo, ,00o among themselves to in i augurate this work in Rome. "De- 1 luded Americans who contribute to | barren malicious attempts to rob Ita1- | ian youth of it's faith may miSunder- | stand our motives. But even Italian i Protestants have asked us, the Cath i oIfc men of America, to save them ! from upfifters maintained by Ameri- ! can dollars that might be better eX- | pended in relieving misfortune at home or in succoring the starving i abroad.
 In the afternoon the first session of ! the Supreme Council was called to i order at the St. Francis Hotel, and | the delegates Immediately took up the numerous questions to be discuss ed at the supreme convention.
 Among the issues to be disposed of and action determined, are, the fight a against the drastic Blue Law propa- ganda all over the United States, the anti-tub erculoSis fight. the extension of the Knights of Columbus welfare work to Italy at the request of Pope Benedict NV, and the spending of the S5.00O000 fund set aside for the m monster hoSpitalization program the sick and wounded veterans of the world war and now in the hospitals of the country In addition. the edu- cationa1 activities of the order among the eX-Service men and T women throughout the United States.
 Tonight a grand public reception and tall took place in the city's f auditorium. some 10000 peo- pie being in attendance at the affair. The overflow attendance of some 15,- 900 people on the outside were en- tertained in the civic center, with a band concert and reproduction of the | program and addresses going on in |