Valedictory address / delivered by Hon. Morgan J. O'Brien at the closing exercises of the New York C


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Valedictory Address Delivered by

on. Morgan J. O’Brien at the

Closing Exercises of the NewYork
Catholic War Fund Campaign
for the Knights ofColumbus
Camp and Overseas Service

I
T is with mingled feelings of gratification
and regret that we bring our labors to a close;

gratification that we have succeeded in our

efforts, and regret that our meetings must be

abandoned and the pleasant personal relations

which have sprung from our daily meetings must

be discontinued for a time.

I do hope that my judgment is true and that
I am right in feeling that the satisfaction and
pleasure which I have enjoyed in these meetings

are shared in equal measure by each one of you

and that our separation now will in no way im-
pair the respect and admiration which each one

of us entertains for the other, growing out of the

respective parts we have played in bringing to

a successful conclusion one of the most impor-

tant patriotic and inspiring efforts put forth by

the Catholics of America.

I use this language advisedly because it is



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alone descriptive of the sentiments we, as Ameri-

cans, entertain.

Had we not succeeded, it would have been a
national calamity. It might have indicated that

our hearts were not in the war, which, we believe,

involves the preservation of our religion, our lib-

erties and our country.

In this country, as well as throughout the

world, we have Catholics representing every race.

In our citizenship, we have Catholics who, by

birth or descent, are French or Belgian, German

or Austiian, or Italian, or Irish, or Hungarian,

or Poles, or Servians, or Bohemians, or Spanish,

or African, and thus from every race and clime

we have Catholic citizens representing nearly

one-fifth of our entire population, or in numbers,

twenty millions of Catholic American citizens.

At the beginning of hostilities in 1914 it was

natural there should be among this large and di-
versified citizenship different views taken and

preferences shown for the armed forces fighting

in Europe.

But in April, 1917, when our Congress had

acted and our President had issued his patriotic

and stirring appeal to arms, every American was

thrilled and the response was nearly unanimous

on the part of our People.

There were still some slight rumblings, but





so far as the Catholic citizens of America were

concerned, there never was a question as to where

they stood, because they stood forth to be counted,

furnishing more than forty per cent, of the en-

listed fighting men in our Army and Navy and
pledging to maintain this quota to the full limit

throughout the duration of the War. We could,
however, do more.

It was still proper that as an entire body we

should be lined up behind our Government, and

express in no uncertain terms to the world the

attitude of American Catholics in this War.

To effect this purpose the National Catholic

War Council was formed, its creators and sup-
porters being the Hierarchy of the Church, con-

sisting of our Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops,

Clergy and Laity.

The one great organization then promoting

Catholic work in the Army and Navy was the
Knights of Columbus.

They had a commission from the Secretary

of War and the Secretary of the Navy and have
received the endorsement of our President and

the approval of our Hierarchy.

Behind this agency, which, though unofficial,

is in reality a governmental agency, the Catholic

Church has placed its resources and has appealed

to non-Catholics in its behalf for support.



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And how generously and magnificently has

the appeal been answered.

Protestant and Jew have vied with each

other in friendly rivalry as to which would do the

most to render successful a great patriotic move-

ment which will bring so much cheer and com-

fort to all our boys in the Army and Navy with-
out distinction as to race, color or creed.

And our success has and will do much more;
it will serve to obliterate religious prejudice, to

unite more closely in bonds of loyalty and good

will citizens of every race and creed, and it will

furnish to the world the spectacle of 20 millions of

free American Catholics who, to the last man and
the last dollar, are prepared to sacrifice all in de-

fense of their flag and country and to maintain

the priceless liberties which, in this favored and

beloved country, we in common with all fellow
citizens enjoy.

If this “Drive'' had failed, Prussian Militar-

ism would have thought that our beloved country

was lukewarm in its support of the war, and the

Teuton propaganda would have continued with

increasing violence and ingenuity, but now we
feel that we have given notice to the world where

we stand and where we shall continue to stand

until the victory of right against might has been

gloriously won.