Evening star., 1901-09-03
Distinguished Irish Leader Now in
Washington.
E TALKS ON SEVERAL SUBJECTS
Now He Demands independence
for Ireland
T II E B o E r w A r

years member of parliament Is making his
tenth visit to this country, his journey be-
ing for personal reasons, and not connected
with the Irish movement for home rule
He is nearly six feet in height and of slen-
der build. A large bald spot is surrounded
with black hair tinged with gray. A full
beard that was once jet black has sprin-
king of gray, his eyes and countenance
| bespeaking thoughtfulness and a reserved
nature. His bearing is courteous and his
greeting reservedly cordial. He talks flu
emily and with an animation that shows
his deep interest in great political questions
with which he is extremely familiar.
Believes fn Doing Things.
He is radical in that he believes in doing
things and he has been so free in express
ing his opinions that he has been landed in
an English prison four times and has spent
nine years and nine months in such con-
| fnement. Before he resigned from parlia-
ment he took especial interest in a prison
reform bill and told his friends he was per-
sonally interested in 1t because he didn't
know when he might get back there
The sleeve for his right arm hangs empty.
When ten years of age he went from Ire
| land to Lancashire to work In mill. ana at
| that early age his arm was torn from his
body by the machinery with which he was
working.
'Ihere nave Deen great advances sllSc
| then in the management OF factories, as
| the result of laws passed for their govern
| ment," he said, talking to Star reporter
today. "It was common thing then for
| children to be manned as I was, but ma
chinery is SO protected that such accidents
| rarely occur now. and ten-year-old boy
would not be allowed to work in factory.
but must be sent to school,
Mr.. Davitt's visit to this city Is to see his
sister, Miss Sabine Davitt, who Tor fifteen
years has been employed in the government
service here.
Evolution Of the Boer War.
"I am satisfied" he said, when speaking
Of the Boer war, that the evolution of
events now In progress will result In hav-
ing home rule for Ireland. When this war
is over the English people will see that 1t
will be to their advantage to give Ireland
| such a government as Canada has. If the
Boer army Of 10000 men and a total Boer
population Of about 100000 people could
give England so much trouble, the ques-
ton arising is. What would she experience
in war with one Of the great powers?
This view will come home to the English
people, and as a matter of eXpediency they
will want more justice for Ireland in order
to reduce the danger from that country
while ruled as at present.
Independence for Ireland.
''For myself have enlarged my claim. I
was satisfied to have home rule, but when
saw what fight the Beers could make
against England I declared that wanted
independence for Ireland. Independence for
Ireland would not injure England, but will
really safeguard her interests. Within six
ty miles Of England, and as a small inde
pendent power, she could never be hostile.
/ firmly believe that independence would be
an element of strength to the British en-
pire should it become involved In war
with one of the great pOwerS."~
Mr., Dayttt has been a strong advocate
of the Boer cause ever since trouble be-
tween England and the Transvaal began.
uously opposed the war, and when war was
finally declared he resigned his seat In the
house of commons and has not returned
within the precincts of that body since
""The story l see published at this time"
said Mr.. Davitt. that the Beers have been
firing on women and children I am sure is
without foundation, except that probably
there were some women on train being
attacked by the Beers Knowing the peo-
pie as I do after having visited them and
seen SO many of them in their homes, 1
know that any attack by any of them on
women would be unreasonable Such stories
were told of them before the war began.
and were afterward shown to be false.
Scores of English officers who have been
taken prisoners by the Beers have man
fully testified over their names in English
papers that these allegations against the
Beers are untrue. and have said that the
Beers have fought in strict accordance with
Tie IuleS OI HOHOTdDle warfare. MY con-
viction is that England will never conquer
these people. They will carry on this strug-
gle by one means or another until they get
their independence or until they have been
eXterminated."
Change I'm Sentiment.
| Mr.. Davitt said there had been marked
change Of feeling in England during the
past twelve months in favor of some settle
ment with the Beers. The opinions among
Ev,O1 icI, }ho pao.
into four classes-those who believe the
right or wrong, those who feel humiliated
and think the military prestige of the king
dom should be re-established, those who
feel that the country has blundered in get
ting in the war with the Beers and think
practical independence should be given
them and those who detest the war as a
crime and believe it should be brought to
close for the credit Of the British empire
But the present government has three more
years In which Its policy may be continued,
and he did not think that policy would un-
dergo any great change unless the Emperor
or Russia, for instance, should intimate to
King Edward that he would like to see the
struggle In South Africa ended and even
the result of such an expression might not
END the war. Intervention by Russia or
France was the only means, he said, for
ending the war, and he had no confidence
that there will be such intervention
Engiands policy in South Africa. he
those
of the Transvaal to a position of antae-
onism, and he thought the rising against
English rule would extend over a much
larger field than it now covers.
Trouble With the British. Army.
The trouble with the British army, he
said, is that it is largely recruited from
the slums Of great cities with men inferior
morally. mentally and physically. When
they get to Africa they soon break down
under the strain. AS long as the army
had savages to deal with it got along very
well when SO constituted, but it could not
stand up against the Beers. He thought
that fact, together with bad generalship,
was responsible for England's reverses
The people of England did not feel that
they could gain any glory by service in the
TransvaaI, and the better class Of mechan-
les and farmers were not willing to enlist
for less money than they are receiving
by following their calling Mr.. Davitt
thought this feeling would result in the
necessity for England to pay Tommy At
kins four or five times as much as is now
paid him, which would be q great drain
on the excheQuer.
Request Denied.
Upon the report of the computing engi-