The Archives of The University of Notre Dame 607 Hesburgh Library Notre Dame, IN 46556 574-631-6448 [email protected] Notre Dame Archives: Alumnus K;?^- The Notre Dame Alumnus Vol. IV Contents for December, 1925 • No. 3 The Call to Catholic Lay Activity, by Admiral "W. S. Benson 67 . Alunmi OflBce Organization, by Alfred C. Eyan, '20 69 Editorial .'. 72 Ca:mpus,News and Views, by James E. Armstrong, '25 73 The National Acceptance of the Notre Dame System, by E. M. Starrett, '21 76 Athletics, by.Bert V. Dunne, '26 79 Is the League of Nations Something New?, by Eev. J. M. Eyan, G. S. C. 86 The Notre Dame Club of Cleveland, by John P. Murphy, '12 88 The Alumni 89 The magazine is published monthly during the scholastic year by the Alumni Association of the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana. The subscription price is $2.00 a year; the price of single copies is 25 cents. The annual alumni dues of $5.00 include a year's subscription to The Alumnus. Entered as second-class matter January 1, 1023, at the post office at Notre Dame, Indiana, under the Act of March 3, 1897. All corres­ pondence should be addressed to The Notre Dame' Alumnus, Bo.^ 81, Notre Dame, Indiana. ALFRED C. RYAN, '20, Editor The Alumni Association — of the — University of Notre Dame Jlttmni Headqiiai-ters: 232 Administration Bldg., Notre Dame. Alfred C. Ryan, '20, Genera/ Secretary. ALUMNI BOAED REV. M. L. MORURTY, '10 Honorary President WILLIAM P.' MCPHEE, '90 President DANIEL J. O'CONNOR, '05 Vice-President ALFRED C. EYAN, '20 Secretary WARREN A. CARTIER, '87 Treasurer THOMAS J. MCKEON, '90 Director JOSEPH M. HALEY, '99 Director JOHN P. MURPHY, '12 Director EDW. C. MCHUGH, '13 Director Tho University of Notre Dame Band, one of the most representative Kroups on the cnmpus, recently made a test record of the Victory March and The Hike gone which will undoubtedly he released shortly after the first of tho year. m II THE CALL TO CATHOLIC LAY ACTIVITY An Address by Admiral W. S. Benson before the National Catholic Alumni Federation, New York City M , 11 Y SINC.S.13 THANKS are due you for the Catholic Church, they carried with the honor you have done me by your them along with their novelties of doctrine Minvitation to attend and address this gath­ also certain Catholic teachings and tradi- ering of tarnest and zealous Catholic lay­ cions which were to some degree an anti­ men. It will be a pleasure for me to know dote to their errors and heresies. With that my presence and remarks could even this Catholic heritage in their keeping mil- partly repay you for your courtesy and iions of Protestants were able for three confidence. centuries or more to preserve some of the Unfortunately, I have no receipe for essentials of Christianity. But in the last bringing our Catholic laity to recognize two generations Protestantism has all but and perform what many of us believe to exhausted its Catholic patrimony. The be our duty toward our fellows in the Protestant churches have traveled almost Church and outside her pale. I share with the whole road from abandonment of Catho­ you the conviction that there is a great licism to the rejection of Christianity itself. mission for the Catholic men and women Vast numbers of Protestants are today of the United States and I shall be glad to without faith in the doctrines their fathers share the work so far as my time and accepted and are drifting from indifference phj'sical health will permit. into positive irreligion. But there are many thousands who are in quest of a sub­ Blany of us realize our obligations to stitute for the satisfactions and consola­ undertake some form of apostolate and tions of religion. They are seeking this appreciate, I am sure, the immense good substitute in fraternalism, in social service, that our Church and our country would in purely intellectual culture. Here and derive from it. Every endeavor to inspire there they are turning to the Catholic and unite our Catholic men for the spiritual Church. and civic tasks that lie before ua ought to be commended and encouraged. Both How can we present to the minds and as Caifaolics and Americans we owe a debt hearts of these millions the truths of the to our fellow citizens. If past attempts to Catholic Religion? Their condition offers accomplish this union and co-operation us an opportunity and imposes an obliga­ among our Catholic people have failed, we tion. We laymen meet our Protestant should not be deterred for that reason from brethren more often and more intimately making new efforts. So I welcome most than our clergy do. We mingle vdth them cordially this movement initiated by the in business, and in civic and social rela­ National Federation of Catholic Alumni. tionships. Our faith and our example might be made to win them to the Church. Your understanding of the needs and Conscience and charity bind us to aid them problems that present themselves to Ameri­ in finding the Pearl of gi-eat price. can Catholics, and your Catholic education. Catholic culture and high purposes give Now an organization .such as you are promise of the success which your enter­ about to establish might include in its ac­ prise deserves. tivities this apostolate among those out­ It may be of help to you if I repeat some side the Church. Fruitful work is already of the thoughts that have occurred to me being done, but there is need and call for in respect to the necessity and opportunity additional effort. The Catholic Truth So­ for an organization such as you propose. ciety, the Home Missions, the Catholic Our duty is not merely that of defending Press—all these would welcome your co­ our Catholic faith and our Catholic institu­ operation in spreading the teachings of tions for ourselves and our children. We the Church by word of mouth and by the have the equally grave obligation to bring use of print. Let us remember that we the Truth to others who have it not. When should use the printing press not only to at the time of the Eeformation some mil­ mutiply Catholic books and papers and lions of people separated themselves from pamphlets for Catholics who already have 6S THE NOTRE DAME ALUMNUS the faith but also for those who are with­ can do much for these schools of all grades out it. Perhaps every person in this room by urging Catholic young men and young can testify to a conversion made, under women to enter Catholic rather than se­ God, by a Catholic publication that reached cular institutions; by helping the founding and influenced a soul longing and search­ of scholarships, and by encouraging en­ ing for the True Faith. dowments. Your appeal for the more In playing our part as citizens we have liberal support of Catholic education will another opportunity to win the respect of be all the' more eloquent and productive non-Catholics for ourselves and prompt since you are witnesses to the temporal their acceptance of our Holy Faith. In the and spiritual value of Catholic training. United States, where the ballot is the In order to accomplish any of these ob­ source of government and legislation. jectives you must not have merely an or­ Catholics should be prepared to use it in­ ganization but an active and self-sacrific­ telligently and conscientiously. We ought ing membership. Moreover, in what con­ to be walling and able to put our country's cerns purely Catholic action you will re-' good first and make that consideration quire the approval and co-operation of the alone the test of men and measures. We Hierarchy and the Clergy. Theirs is the ought to make our citizenship an asset and responsibility for whatever work is under­ an inspiration. This should be our answer taken in the name of the Church, and there­ to those who profess to believe that Catho­ fore the • initiative also must be theirs. lics cannot be true to their Church without Having the approbation and collaboration bung,false to their Country. Here again of the bishops and priests, I think your is a service your organization can render. organization should be national in its scope Without thinking of partisan politics, you and activities. It is impracticable if not could assist in the work of teaching our utterly impossible to accomplish what must youth and especially to our fellow Catholics be done by and for the laity of the United of foreign birth the duties and obligations States if parochial and diocesan boun­ of American citizenshii^. They ought to daries are to remain so many barriers b& instructed in the fundamentals of the against the unification of Catholic effort. American Government and assisted to un­ The influences which affect our thoughts derstand American institutions so that they and actions and interests and liberties do may become intelligent as well as loyal not respect these imaginary lines which citizens. divide us Catholic people into parishes and As alumni of Catholic colleges and uni­ dioceses. These artificial barriers serve versities you men need not be reminded to separate one Catholic group from an­ of the blessing of Catholic education. Men other but they cannot isolate us from the and women educated in Catholic institu­ •tendencies and agencies which nearly al­ tions are a credit and a support to the ways "and nearly everywhere are harmful Church, and they are also a protection to to us unless we counteract them.