The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-10-28
PRESIDENT HIT
 BY THE K. 0F (.
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stances, offered to oppressed people of other faiths"
 Martin J. Carmody, supreme knight of Grand Rapids, Mich., and William J. Mckinley, supreme secre- tary, of New Haven, Conn.,, signed tn letter for the board of directors.
 It charged that the Borah resolu- ton for an investigation by the sen- ate foreign relations committee of Mexican conditions was pigeon holed by the committee at MT. Roosevelt's express directions" The letter recalled that "after delay of almost six months" the president re- ceived a committee of the supreme board last July and accepted "re- monstrance against the persecution of religion in Mexico" On this occasion MT. Roosevelt was said by the knights to have promised that he would make public state ment on Mexican conditions in his next address.
 Waited for Assurances "We have waited long and patient ly for the fulfillment of that assuf- ance," the letter continued, asserting that in tn interval the Mexican gov- ernment persisted in its ruthless and tyrannical attitude toward re- ligion."
 "The responsibility for non-action in the past has been your responSi- bility," the knights told Mir. Rooee- welt.
 "The responsibility for non-action in the futur will also be your re- sponsibility. There can be no misun- derstanding on our part or on yours, of the simple facts involved" The Knights of Columbus organ ized in 1882, is described by reference books as active in every state of the Union. It's membership is more than 241 1000.
 Tt has been suggested" the letter continued, that remarks made by you concerning religious intolerance during your address at San Diego 1 Oct. 2, were intended as fulfill ment of the promise you made to our committee.
 However, we are unwilling to ac- cept them as such.
 | No Sympathy Expressed "In your San Diego speech you made no reference to Mexico. You refrained from expressing any sym- pathy for the weak down-trodden people of that oppressed land. You said nothing that would discourage the Mexican government from pur- suing in the future it's policy of ir- religion which you have indirectly sanctioned through the public ex- pressions of the man you appointed to represent the American people in that country"
 This reference was to Ambassador Josephus Daniels whose comment some months ago on conditions in Mexico has been interpreted in some quarters as condoning Mexican policies The letter remarked that some press correspondents had re- ported that portion of the San Diego address might have been as- stunned to relate to the Mexican question and that one newspaper writer described 1t as "a small sop to Catholics"
 ! San Diego Speech | Washington, Oct. 28-(UP)-Here is the portion of President Roose- velt's San Diego, Cal, speech on Oct. 2, referred to by the Knights of Columbus in its broken prom ise" attack today:
 "Our national determination to keep free of foreign wars and for- eign entanglements cannot prevent us from feeling deep concern when ideals and principles that we have cherished are challenged. "In the United States we regard 1t as automatic that every person shall enjoy the free exercise of his religion according to the dictates of of his conscience. Our flag for e century and a half has been the symbol of the principles of liberty of conscience, of religious freedom and equality before the law; and these concepts are deeply ingrained in our national character.
 Tt is true that other nations may, as they do. enforce contrary rules of conscience and conduct. It is true that policies that may be pur- sued under flags other than our own are beyond our jurisdiction. Yet in our individual lives we can never be indifferent. and we assert for ourselves c6mplete freedom to eni- brace; to profess and to observe the principles for which our flag has % long been the lofty symbol" |