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The end of the war with the Armistice on November 11,
1918, did not mean the end of activities in the welfare field by any means
to the contrary, it brought about still others, including help to
hospitalized veterans, employment efforts for returned veterans, and trade
schools for the former soldiers returning to civilian life. This work went
on into the administration of Mr. Wegmann's successor, State Deputy L. O.
Pecot, May, 1921, to May, 1923. The Supreme Council adopted a program of
help for veterans in hospitals and education for former enlisted men, and
in this program, Louisiana participated extensively, through the
co‑operation and help of state officers and members of various
Councils.
Just as Mr. Amiss was turning over the office of
State Deputy to Mr. Wegmann at the end of June, 1919, Supreme Secretary
McGinley notified state officers that the order had taken up a program of
Reconstruction and Employment Service. Some of the Councils in larger
cities took up this work, among them Baton Rouge and New Orleans, where
the Supreme Office provided $10 per month to help defray expenses. Baton
Rouge Council furnished clerical assistance free through its members, and
funds were expended for "positions wanted" advertising in
newspapers for the veterans. This work and the activities of Fraternal
Service Committees in individual Councils became of great importance
during the post‑war depression, when many veterans were unable to
re‑locate in jobs, and many were forced into
the tragic situation of selling apples at street corners. Southern
leaders of the order in general were eager to continue activities after
the war and a general assembly of State Deputies from Southern States to
map out a program was proposed by State Deputy M. J. O'Neil of Charlotte,
N. C. The Supreme Office sent A. B. Cummings, general secretary of K. C.
war activities, to New Orleans in May, 1921, to take charge of work in two
general hospitals for ex‑service men. All kinds of creature comforts
were furnished to the veterans, and assistance was given in getting
service records, government payments and contacts with their families. As
had been the case in the cantonments and in overseas work, all of this K.
C. work followed the same policy of "everything free" and
"everybody welcome." There were no lines of distinction because
of race or creed. Among K. C. secretaries who carried out work in the
hospitals of that period were George Young of New Orleans, Harry Kinney of
Alexandria, John Hughes of Mobile, P. F. Mileur of Algiers, and William
Gilkin of Gulfport. The two hospitals at New Orleans served by the
secretaries were the Marine Hospital and the Algiers U. S. Veterans'
Hospital No. 64. The U.S. Marine Hospital at Carville, where there were 15
service men with Hansen's disease, was also served. Col. M. J. O'Leary,
Grand Knight of Savannah Council, Savannah, Ga., was in charge of the
Southeast Department for post‑war welfare work.
The order also undertook an educational program for
the veterans, and in accord therewith opened three night schools in
Louisiana one at Baton Rouge, one at Shreveport and one at New Orleans.
The last mentioned was the first such school in the South. In November,
1919, J. E. Cummings, field supervisor of all K. C. war work and the
educational campaign in the southern department, came to New Orleans and
conferred with leaders of the order in the city to get a night school for
ex‑service men under way. Arrangements were made with Brother Paul
of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart at St. Aloysius High School, and the
facilities of that notable institution of learning were placed at the
disposal of the Knights.
The school opened in January, 1920, after an
invitational drive was conducted to apprise the veterans of their
opportunity. P. F. Mileur, assistant to Mr. Cummings, and K. C. camp
secretary, helped in the organization of the free night school and handled
the enrollment. He was then assigned to the K. C. Hut at the Algiers Naval
Station. Among the consistent supporters of the school, and its
enthusiastic promoter, was Francis Williams, who was on the instructors'
staff, teaching commercial law. Other workers for the school were State
Deputy Wegmann, Albert J. LaPlace, Patrick E. Burke, Nicholas Carbajal,
Peter Muntz and W. A. Kernaghan, among others. Courses included accounting
and bookkeeping, electrical work, radio‑telegraphy, commerce and
finance, English, Spanish, high school subjects, elementary education, and
auto‑mechanics. The old South Claiborne Street Market was given to
the use of the school for auto‑mechanics classes. In all of this
work as always, the slogan and the policy were "Everything Free
‑ Everybody Welcome." The school was open to all, regardless of
creed. It continued to operate with much success for more than five years.
Col. O'Leary made regular monthly visits to Louisiana
to check on the K. C. work being conducted in various fields. In July,
1920, he went to Alexandria, and conferred with Grand Knight Gus A. Voltz,
and such leaders as Leo Turregano, S. H. Gravel, George H. Cambre, W. L.
Wall and others, for the establishment of an evening trade school for the
veterans. This was the second in Louisiana. Accompanying Col. O'Leary was
J. E. Cummings, supervisor. While in New Orleans, they both called upon
the Josephite Fathers to discuss opening of a vocational school for
Colored men. They also proceeded to Shreveport, where with officers and
members of Shreveport Council, they organized a third night school for
former service men, the third in the state. At the same time, they helped
establish on St. Charles Street in New Orleans an employment office to
help the returned soldiers, whose unemployment plight cried for
alleviation. K. C. Secretary T. J. Kane was placed in charge.
State Deputy Wegmann was very insistent about
periodical meetings of state officers and the District Deputies, and used
them as means to pass on down to subordinate Councils directives about
irregularities or laxity in procedures, or demands for strict adherence to
regulations of the order. Within three weeks after assuming his office, he
gathered his official family together at a meeting at Jennings, La., July
20, 1919. Matters under discussion were cited by Mr. Wegmann for Mr.
Amiss:
"We had a very interesting meeting of the
officers of the State Council in Jennings yesterday (July 20) , at which
several important matters were discussed. Opelousas gets the next state
convention. We are recommending separation of degrees. We are also
recommending that hereafter there be no exemplifications between the first
day of June until after the first day of September." |
