New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-24
Friends of Irish Freedom
Hank Back to Clan-na-Cael
Tant of Who Killed CroninP' Found in Organization
Whose Propaganda Has Become Hopeessly Assoc
ated With o-Germanism in the u S.

fairs, either refused to view the facts
as they were or held that no matter
what was involved the end justified the
means.
Politicians Thrivcd on II
This left the organization weak, but
easier Of control. In the larger cities
along the Atlantic Scaboard it re-
manned In tho hands Of saloonkeepers
ana politicians. Where there was a
large Irish population il worked more
or icss in the open. Thus. in Boston.
Clan ma Gael Hall was we'll known
meeting place and candidates for polit
zeal Office found it worth while to
state on their campaign literature thai
they were members of the Clan-na.
Gael.
In other places the work was less
open. The camps had tho name OF
literary associations or clubs. named
after leaders in Irish revolutionary
movements or after things that had
figured in them. The members Of
these groups. however named. werr
more often than not also members of
other Irish organizations. notably the
Land League and its successor, the
United Irish League. but. while they
league. they were never strong enough
to get control of the general organiza
ton.
Emigration Falls OF
The second severe blow that the or
ganization received was gradual, but
none the less deadly. 1t should, per.
haps. be described as series of
blows refer to the hard won en-
actrentS by the British Parliament
for the improvement of the conditions
OF the Irish peasant The effect o.
these acts was TO decrease Irish emil
grafton. This was manifested in the
United States by the disappearance of
the Irish servant girl and the Irish
lahorer. In the fifteen years prior to
1915 the immigration from Ireland
averaged less than 10000 a year.
This meant inability TO get new
blood into the Clan-na-G Gael. and. with
the old members who had remained
loyal dying off, its decay was gradual
but sure. What was almost worse
the younger lriShmen who did come
over were not at all friendly TO the
movement They had experienced
none OF the rigors that their forebears
-
in different sort of ireland than the
older persons knew. They saw that
whatever the excuse had been for the
physical force movement-and there
are many friends of England TO- day
who Justify the use Of dynamite in
other days-the time had passed
Old Queens Shrewd Move
-. u.
unnoticed at the time by non-Irish-
men-gave wonderful strength TO the
arguments of these young Irishmen
who refused to be fanatically anti
English. One Of the stories the physi-
cal force agitator was prone to use in
aroUSing his audiences was Of Irish
men in the British army being flogged
for putting spC.CS Of green in their
caps on st. Patrick's Day. II may
bet probably was-true. At any
rate. It was generally believed to be
true. And because Il was believed u
be true. he action of Queen Victoria
IN sending shamrocks TO some of her
Irish troops in South Africa had more
effect than the shrewdest Of her ad-
visers could have imagined
However intended, this gracious act
landed square on the target. Il APP
pealed TO the sentiment of the senti-
mental people and was accepted as
proof by many Of them that times had
indeed changed.
About this time Germany. casting
about for possible help in the strug-
gle she was then preparing for,
began TO cultivate the Irish in America.
The Kaiser's famous cablegram Of
sympathy to Dom Paul was the basis
of the German appeal to the dissatis-
fed Celt. On it the German-lrsh
Alliance was built in Boston.
Just what the Irish and Germans
could have in common was not exactly
apparent to many of Irish blood, par
ticularly those who were born in this
country. The two races had never
been over friendly even in this cOun-