Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-04-29

The revolutionary spirit in Dublin that
is making its first public appearance to-
day has been holding many rehearsals
during the last two years. on the same
stage
The mere sight of the illustrated poster
| inviting Irishmen to join Kitcheners army
| and fight for the King and England
| reused the Nationalist sentiment
| was In Dublin on october 10. 1914.
| On that day ] saw on the north side of
the Rotunda. about three blocks above the
postonlce, which is now in the hands of
the rebels, two groups of men, both
| armed, fix bayonets and make ready to
charge. The order was not given figur-
atively, II was only a rehearsal.
ANTI-ENGL1sH MEETING.
on the following day the first big anti
| English meeting took place at public
hall. and the place was inadequate for the
| crowd. arrived in Dublin on that Sun
| day morning in 1914 Mt o'clock. The
| station is about mile from the town, the
nearest tram. four blocks. Taxis there are
none the only vehicle the romantic but
uncomfortable jaunting car.
Dublin was still asleep. but posters, still
wet covered walls and every available fiat
space. Two posters in particular had evil
IDENTIFY been pasted over layers of others.
The one announced joint meeting of the
Irish volunteers, the Gaelic Lague, the
Transport Union in Parnell Square that
afternoon in honor of Parnell.
All these associations had come out
openly as opposed to the recruiting of
1rishmen in the English army.
The second foretod meeting of new
born organization, the Neutrality League
whose object, so read the poster, was to
preserve the neutrality of Ireland in a war
tetween two foreign Powers.
t.,
:, gather in the streets called O'Connell
by the Irish and Sackville by the English.
They came from neighboring counties,
Waterford, Drogheda and in excursions
from counties west and south. Some time
during the morning every one of them had
marched out to Parnell's grave, some few
had come back to the square with their
families, the rest were marching in the
parade.
We followed the crowd around the
square to the upper side, and then the real
work of the day began. The various
groups of the parade separated, the leader
of each section mounting box or stand
ing UP on the tail of the cart began his
plea to his audience. The crowd made
solid circula" phalanx in the street encirc-
ling the scdare. Here and there a man
elevated above the crowd talked with !
them.
I wandered from one group to another |
until l came to the uppermost. Strange as |
1t may SEEM not word had 1 heard of |
Parnel 1t was all of ireland for the |
Irish" and "Do you remember" And as
the Irishman supplements the speaker and |
fills in the short pause after the period, |
the crowd was loving echo of the SEN
timents OF the leaders.
on the north side Of the square stood
Larkin surrounded by the citizen army.
Larlsin was acclaimed the only man who |
had been able to make his antirecruiting |
speech in front of the hall in which the |
Prime Minister was making his plea to |
the Irish. Many had started to speak |
before that meeting. but only Larkin had |
finished. His bodyguard of armed boys
had resisted the police successfully then
and they were with him this day.
Then came the crisis, an event which
probably showed the temper of the Irish
people.
CLASH is AVERTED
While Larllin was talking a band swung
around the corner from O'Connell street
and tried to make its way through the
crowd on the north side of the square.
This band was a part of the faction of the
Ancient Order of Hibernians that had fol-
lowed Redmond in his pro-English stand.
The police stopped the band Immediately,
but the crowd resented the interruption.
The A. o. H. would not retrea The citi-
zen army had suhtly worked its way from
the cart on which Larkin (; ID to the
edge of the crowd Suddenly the citizen
army faced the opposing group from curb
to railing. A woman screamed some
body fired blank cartridge and the two
bodies of men faced each other with
bayonets in place.
A man grabbed me by the arm and 1
arrived at the top of seven steps. The