The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-10-09
H|STORYDR|VE
.OFk K. {. AIMS TO.
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Dollar Movement.
CAMPAIGN IS NATIONWIDE
Education Of Natives and For
eign-Born in Patriotism Its
Special Object.
!, ESQ many questions hare been
81 ,000, 900 American history move
saent that this exclusive, straight
foTsodrd statement is goven to e1-
plain IT, --r-.'. c,..r. ii,
BY JOHN B. KENNEDY,
Editor Of Columbia, Official Organ Of the
X. of.C.
!, When somebody claims American
citizenship, that citizenship should be
100 per cent, which means a full
knowledge not only Of the rights and
duties Of citizenship, but Of the back
ground of history that has developed
those rights and duties.
Hence the Knights of Columbus, at
their recent convention in San Fran
cisco, launched a 100000 Ameri-
can history movement to provide that
The K. of c. American history
movement has been described as an
anti-propaganda movement, and It has
been counter-described as propa.
ganda movement merely because It is
anti-propaganda. Two discoveries de.
termined the Knights to, undertake
the movement under the auspices Of
the K. of c. fourth degree that de-
mands practical as distinguished from
protested patriotism from those elect.
ed to 1t. These discoveries were the
TACT that not enough Americans knew
enough history and that too many
Americans were being taught mac
curate history.
When. for instance, Henry Clay can
be referred to ats gambler" and q
Sbluffer," Polk as "blusterer," Phi.
lander c. Knox as dollar diplomat, I"
Blaine an blatant hawker after
votes"-in histories presented as text.
books to American youth, it is time
a halt was called and that corrective
action was applied.
Current political controversies have
no place in sober perspectives of his.
tory, and the attachment of hot-tem-
pered opponents epithets to Ameri.
cans who have done much to mould
the destiny Of the nation Is not only
not history. It borders upon theoreti.
cal treason.
viii Correct Errors.
Edward r. insolvency, newly ap-
pointed chairman of the Knights of
columbus American History Commits
sion, was commissioned by Supreme
Master John H. Reddin, Of Denver,
who will direct the K-C history move
ment, to examine textbooks studied
In American schools and universities
sparochial, public. private and State.
After years of painstaking study he
recommended that plentiful funds and
brains be devoted to a movement to
pace before the American public a
history written plainly from! original
sources, without personal fnterpre.
tations' or "revisions in the light of
current international developments"
This Is exactly the job the knights
OF Columbus contemplate. With 500
lies backing and with the distributiol,
OF tens OF millions of pamphlets deal.
ing with the different phases OF Aneri.
can history from colonial times up to
the present, II Is inconceiyable how the
movement can be anything but sue.
cessful. -
The K. Of c. Fourth Degree has alsp
instituted q national American history
contest. They offer $500 in prizes
to contestants, the first prize being
SZ'6O0' with six additional prizes OF
$1,000 each, and invite all who desire
to compete-and nobody is barred. Full
Information regarding the conditions
OF entry can be obtained from William
J. MCKINLEY, supreme secretary Of the
Is. OF c., at K-C, headquarters, New
Haven, Conn.
In their nationwide citizenship work
1.-The assistance Of aliens to take out
their first and their final naturaliza
ton papers, the Knights discovered
that American history was not as well
known as 1t should be by those aspir.
ing to vote In the destiny of the
American Republic.
But what was. still more alarming,
In the anti-radicalism open forums
which the K. of c. conduct in more
than 1000 cities and towns each year,
they found at the general question
hour that hundreds and thousands tf
persons Of the third and fourth ecn.
erations Of American birth and of ali
races did not know many OF the basic
events and leading personalities in the
nation 8 history or else were misin.
formed because Of the revision
movement apparent on the part of
numerous historians.
IL h expected that two years will
be REQUIRED to complete the X, c,
I,0Oo,O00 history movement. In that
period the Knights will have check "a
up every textbook in use and covered
the country with a pamphlet flood tell
Ing the plain story of the repul,lJc.
quoting all documents and authorities
az to facts and naming the author,
page, and the line Of inaccuracies In
histories now in use. :
Admiral William s. Benson. Maurice
Francis Egan and Profs. George Derry
OF Union College, and Charles s. Nc.
earthly, formerly of Pennsylvania Uni.
versity, now Of the Catholic University
OF America, will serve on the X. of C.
history commission. -