The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-09-02
Three Weeks in ireland
In War Time
BY Eileen Moore.

New York August 18th after three
weeks stay in Dublin. Dublin is
seething with rebellion. This fact is
made evident to the stranger by the
general wearing OF the Republican
badge. Every second man, woman
and child is still Haunting the tricolor
"a tiny knot OF orange, green and
white ribbon.
There is another thing that strikes
the stranger in Dublin-the unmis-
taxable poverty OF its people. To
walk through the city and note the
excessive number Of wretchedly clad
women with children in their arms
and hunger in their faces would make
anyone sad. Poverty stalks openly in
Dublin. The weather is fine-I SILVER
at the thought OF the sufferings that
will ensue when the cold sets in.
There is a coal strike on and already
great difficulty is experienced in get
ting in coal except by those lucky
people who had ordered it months
ahead. The Dominican Sisters who
have charge of working girls home
in Dominick street report great suffer-
ing among working girls.
In the city the conversation turns
irresistibly to the Revolution like a
needle to magnet In the stores
many thrilling stories of the heroism
of the girls who helped in'the "Risin"
are told in a half whisper while meas
uring yards of ribbon or Irish lace.
One shop assistant said: II know a
girl who was caught carrying a dis
patch. The soldiers threatened to
shoot her but she swallowed the dis
patch before they could take it from
her-it was written on gelatine. They
threw her into prison-she has since
been released. Wasn't she quick wit
ted?" said the shop assistant. Most
Of the girls employed in the stores
had relatives in the Revolution.
General indignation is expressed all
over at the treatment accorded women
prisoners. Gently nutured women and
girls were thrown into prison in
patches and plank bed with sparse
covering supposedly for one person
was allotted to three. The rest had
to lie on the floor. Their health has
suffered in consequence. The food
was of the coarsest quality. No wo-
men warders were allowed them and
it might be said with truth that they
were left to the mercy Of the soldiers.
Even people not i'll favor of the Sim
Fem Movement were incensed when
they heard of the hardships these wo-
men suffered.
History repeats itself. Just as the
Geraldine intermarried with the Irish
and became more Irish than the Irish
themselves SO after the first two
weeks of brutal treatment the fair
prisoners won their gaolers and were
treated during the weeks that followed
with more leniency. Admiration was
openly expressed at the courage of
these gently reared young Irish girls
who threw caution to the winds and
were ready to give their lives for the
cause.
The same may be said of the men
prisoners and their gaolers, so that in.
stead of putting down "Sinn Feinism
by Imprisonment the Government is
beginning to find out that it is only
fostering Sim Feinism" by imprison
ing them. In consequence large nun.
bers of prisoners are being released
daily.
Surprising are the groups of men
congregated at every corner-the sol
diers hesitate to dispense them. The
city is full of soldiers and policemen
and martial law rules. On Sunday
evening in Sackville street people
were singing Who fears to speak OF
Easter Week in the air of the rebe
song, "Who fears to speak of 49,"
have lived in America for fifteer
years. The young men and women ir
the rebel movement in Ireland read
| American history and tried to mode
their short lived provisional govern
ment on the lines of the American
Declaration Of independence. A cop,
of the immortal document was framed
in the School of st. Edna, presided
over by the executed p. II. Pearse
president of the week-old government
There is much curiosity among al
classes in Dublin as to the extent Of
American sympathy or interest in the
revolution. Mcssrs. Murphy and Gil
of the American Relief Committee are
at the Hotel Gresham successful,
consolidating the work of the severa
relief committees and will arrive il
! New York August 10. Deep resent
ment is shown in Dublin over the re
fusal of the government to permit Tho
landing of Thomas Hughes Kelly, o
! New York, treasurer of the Irish Re
lief Committee. and his associat,
Joseph Smith, of Lowell, Mass, wht
are. practically, prisoners on the S. S
Philadelphia at Liverpool. The Ameri
can delegates at Dublin are required
to report twice daily to the militar,
authorities and are subject to constan
| eSDiOnapp