The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-01-29
dublin Hibernian.)

WHAT: mas Deen rightly QescrlDeQ az
the amazing and entirely discredita-
BILE stenas wttneased in Liverpool on
the 6ccas,on ofsS the departdd OF
rather attempted; departure q
body Of young Irishmen for the States:
The intending emigrants hailed from
all parts Of Ireland, and their pres
ence in the Mersey port was due to
the fact that Queenstown was closed
to them as their place of embarka-
ton owing to the Cunard company's
abandonment of Cove as a coaling
place for their liners.
On the morning on which the Irish
men made their way to the Cunard
offices they were importuned and
sedulously canvassed by the local re-
cruiting sergeants to take the shill-
Ing" but turned a deaf ear to the
Establishments of the beribboned
ones. While waiting at the shipping
office, the unfortunate Irishmen be-
came the cynosure of hostile crowds
who had been apprised of their pres
ence by sensational and inflammatory
articles in the local press.
Lest it should be thought we are
actuated by biassed motives in re-
gard to the disgraceful incidents that
followed, We take, the following from
an impartial contemporary published
in Liverpool-to-wit, the Catholic
Times" Says that journal: "Gibes
and taunts, often couched in gross
language, were hurled at the Irish
men, and there were several ugly
PUSHES, couple of emigrants, imped.
ed by their luggage, being knocked
down. Refuse and paper folded into
hard knots were thrown, and once the
mob endeavored to turn horse and
cart on to- the. pavement, but were
prevented from carrying out their de-
sign by the police. At one time d.
version was caused by voice of
passing tramguard. towards! cow
ards!' he yelled through his funnelled
hands, and his epithet evoked cheers
from the crowd. The guard in Ques-
ton was burly-looking man of mill
tary age, who, If consistent, ought to
have been in another sort of uniform
a year ago.
zone rrosperops-l9oking old gentle
man. who evidently regarded the af
fair as good sport, gave some money
to- a youngster to purchase white
feathers, and these he distributed to
the surrounding crowds who proceed
ed to forcibly decorate the thin line.
The self-restraint of the 1rishmen was
wonderful. Some were white with an
ger, but they evidently realized that
retaliation would only retard their de.
parture, though the exercise Of self
control in many cases was terrible
effort.
"Undeterred by their futile efforts
of the previous day the recruiting
sergeants belonging to the local Ter
ritorial regiments tried again to make
an impression on the emigrants, and
they worked tactfully and quietly. Not
so several self-appointed lecturers. Up
and down the line they went, har-
arguing in more or less abusive Ian.
guage the totally ugresponsive Irish
men. One of them. was once guilty
Of distinct breach of the neutrality
laws, when a quiet. alert-eyed young
man listened silently for ten minutes
to fervid exhortation to come and
be British and then replied in the
unmistakable nasal ,drawl, I guess,
friend, you've made a mistake. I'm
an American citizen To a stalwart
young Englishman, one of the emil
grating men. member of the Tenth
Liverpool Scottish, made an appeal
to show an example to these Irish.
men, but his efforts were unavailing
"A representative, of the Catholic
Times chatted with one Of the ex-
lies. His name was Michael Kelly,
he said. Having some knowledge of
mechanics, he was going to America
as the result of a long-past resolve,
there being no opening for him in his
own country. He had saved UP for
months, and the balance of the pas
sage-money had come from relations
In the States. His brother, he added,
was a reservist who. had been called
up and was now fighting at the Oar.
danelles. He showed fierce resent
ment at the treatment he and his
compatriots were receiving. This Is
what the Irish always get in the end
he remarked bitterly, mo matter what
they do, what sacrifices they make
AS the 1rishmen emerged singly from
the side entrance of the shipping Of
fee, on their way to the landing-stage
they were assailed by running fire
of coarse invective, : to which were
added blows by women. One brave
gentleman, apparently just over mill
tary age, snatched of the hat Of a
boy about eighteen and threw it
amongst the crowd. The young Irish
man suffered severe 3ostling in the
endeavor to recover his headgear.
When the SaxioniA arrived along