The San Francisco call., 1910-02-13

his tragic Erin Awakened" In those
brief words he breathes the story of
Ireland The bitter tears are all too
true, and the ages know how brave
poor Ireland is.
Red Englsad's Rose in noontide blows,
The Thistle has its song:
But FAR and wide keel may ride
The Shamrock knows but wrong.
The story Of Ireland-who has not
thrilled 10 it? What true American,
with the love Of liberty IN his heart.
can pass that story by or hearken to
~ without his pulses beating in sym
pathy for nations wrongs in protest
against the cruelty Of the heartIess
oppressor2 And 20 him with the blood
OF ireland In his veins what does that
story not mean, II has been told and
Cetoid, but never half told" Poets
have sung ii and historians have writ
ten 1T. Statisucians have put il down
IN cold figures But stin il is never
old, because il beats with the pulse Of
humanity; indeed. ii is written in the
warm blood Of martyrs.
Now Hugh Sutherland. one Of the
editors of the PhfadeIphia North
American. has told the story of Ireland
in manner designed especially for
American ears. because nowhere else
IN all the world IS there truer sym
pathy for Ireland than in America. and
q
that story we have lonE needed clear
and compact recount Of it.
Sutherland's story was published
first in the form Of a series of letters
which appeared in the san Francisco
call. and which at the time of their
publication aroused much interest To-
Cally. Prominent lrishmen and lead
ing Irish organizations OF this city in
dOrsed the letters and called for their
publication in book form. That wish
has now been gratifed- The book is
out published in Philadelphia by the
North American. and put forth in
good durable style.
A THRILLING STORY
I have read SutherlaHd-s story with
feelings that any American can be
proud of. that any man of Irish blood
could not resist. II Is q thrilling story,
but it is sad enough TO bring the tears
10 any ones eyes. and bitter enough
10 make anv mans blood boil. To read
such record of suffering and injus-
tfce settled in a comfOrta bic chair, be-
fore a CHEEKY fire, under the shaded
light Of a study lamp, is TO make
man half ashamed of the pleasure he
enjoys and thankful that he lives in
free land, whore. whatever wrongs may
be. are at least not the oppression Of
2 hateful foreign power
But Sutherland's story does more
than sadden and stir feelings of in
=
as well. And when the volume IS closed
one rises from his reading with a sense
OF light breaking through clouds that
are very black and low. but breaking
nevertheless before an inevitable dawn.
-Ireland-Ne esterday and Today Is
the record Of one mans personal OBJ
servation- There is no doubt that
, sutherland has devoted years to the
study OF the Irish problem. He must
have done 50 TO bring with him to the
r7r1 .lF oil = n Z l.
edge Of the foundations Of the trouble
as he exhibits. But nevertheless it is
nothing short Of a great achievement
Tor him to have seen 50 much, so
deeply and so wei and chrOnicled SO
thoroughly the whole story Of Ireland
as he has done in this book. He made
TWO trips TO the old country-one IN
1902. one in 1909-each of about two
months duration
STUDIED At FIRST HAND
when the North American under
took. seven years a go, the treatment of
these matters the Irish question was
little understood by Americans. says
sutherland in his Introduction 'Gener-
ati0us Of agitation, marked often by
bitter factional strife, had even dulled
public interest in 4 problem affecting
the very life OF sister nation. More
over. the American press had acquired
a habit Of Ignoring or sighting the
ance was due, first, to a fear Of arous-
ing sectarian animosities, and, second.
to Indifference" But he and his pOper
were not Indifferent nor afraid, having
confidence In the good sense and fair
ness OF American public opinion when
rightly informed. And so to Ireland
he went. TO study at first hand the
trouble there and to write back home
70 MS what be had seen.
He tells his story in an entertaining
stvle. He IS, indeed, master jour
nalist. possessing Photographic mind
and welding a pen that is both firm
and pointed. He has the ability TO put
much in little. To mark the pithy cpl
Grams in which he expresses tersely
The condition Of the Irish tenant or the
greed Of British misrule is to I'LL the
Dages Of your book with underscorings.
his style Of expression is not studied,
but one Of spontaneity and frankness
LETTERS RING TRUE
There is a vast difference between
writing a book, about Ireland and
writing letters about ireland. It is
something for the reader TO know, as
he peruses Sutherland's chronicles,
that these records were penned 'on the
spot" that they are genuine letters.
They have the animation and freshness
that characterizes all letters. But the
work is. also, carefully and JudiciOusly
cacv of the subject, has taken good
care TO strengthen the Irishmans
cause. as recorded by him, by quoting
authorities that can not be questioned
nor called biased.
In tie question Of religious persecu-
tfon. for instance question that can
not be avoided in discussing the Irish
problem-he has quoted mostly from
authors Of British birth and sympa-
4bies. men who certainly can not be
considered prejudiced in favor Of Ire
land. And then he smilingly tells US
in his spostscript' Ca cheerful chapter
written for the special benefit of his
critics) that back of his Americanism
ss IAN ancestry of double dyed Ulster
Scotch-Irish," and that the nearest ap-
nroach TO a saint IN his church is
TVeslev.v He has been accused, Of
course. Of Catholic prejudice.
The same judicious method has been
followed by Sutherland in all his quo
fations. He invariably has sought au-
fhorities that are unquestionable-in
ireland. wisely giving preference to
the stafd and conservative, the men
who have carefully studied the prob
lem Of their native land for many