New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-05
ShaW's New Satire on the War

him What, o'Flaherty! This is appailing'
shocking! incredible! You sit there wearing
the Victoria Cross for having killed GOD
knows how many Germans and you tell me
YOU don't know why you did 1t!
OFlaherty-Asking your pardon, Sir
Pearce, | tell you no such thing. know
quite well why kilt them. kilt them be-
cause | was afeard that, IL ! didn't, they'd
kill me,
Sir Pearce (givine it UP, and sitting down
seain)-Yes. YES, of course; but have you no
knowledge of the causes of the war OF tue
interests at stake? of the importance
NAV almost say-in fact, will say-the
sacred rights for which we are hghting' poh'
you read the papers?
OFlaherty-I do when | can get them
There's not many newsboys crying the even
ing paper in the trenches.
Sir pearce- It's simple question
of patriotism Does patriotism mean MOTH
ing to you!
OFlaherty-It means different to me than
what il would to YOU, sir. 1t means England
and England's king to you. To me and the
like of me it means talking about the Engllsh
lust the way the English papers talk ABOUT
the Boches And what good has it ever done
here in Ireland? It's kept me ignorant De-
cause it filled up my mothers mind, and she
thought it ought to fill up mine TOO. Its
kent ireland poor because, instead OF trying
70 better ourselves, we thought we was the
fine fellows Of patriots when we were speak
I;sbp hat Z =
ourselves and maybe as good as ourselves
The Boches | kilt was more knowledgaole
men than me; and what better am | now
that I've kilt them? What better is any
body?
Sir Pearce (huffed, turning a cold shoulder
to him)-I am sorry the terrible experience
of this war-the greatest war ever fought
has taught you no better, OFlaherty.
OFlaherty preserving his dignity
don't know about it's being great war, SIR
It's big war; but that's not the same
thing. Father Quinlan's new church is
big church; you might take the little old
chapel out of the middle of it and not miss
it. But my mother says there was more
true religion in the old chapel And the
war mas taught mt IHaV "ay'N "'N we
right. t!ESa
CSir Pearce grunts sulkily)
OFlaherty respectfully but doggedly)-
And there's another thing it's taught me,
too, sir, that concerns you and me, if may
make bold to tell it to you.
Sir Pearce--I hope it's nothing you
oughtn't to say to me, OFlaherty.
IL Ia
to sit here now and talk to you without
humbuggng you, and that's what not one Of
your tenants or your tenants childer ever
did to you before in all your long life. It's
true respect Pm showing you at last, sir,
Maybe you'd rather have me humbug you
and tell you lies as used, just as the boys
here, God help them, would rather have me
tell them how fought the Kaiser, that all
the world knows l never saw in my life,
than tell them the truth. But can't take
advantage of you the way used, not even if
seem to be wanting in respect to you and
cooked up by winning the Cross.
Sir Pearce-Not at all, O'Flaherty; not at
all.
OFlaherty-Sure, what's the Cross to me,
barring the little pension it carries? Do
you think don't know that there's hundreds
of men as brave as me that never had the
luck to get anything for their bravery out
curse from the sergeant, and the blame for
the faults Of them that ought to have been
their betters? I've learnt more than you'd
think, sir, for how would gentleman lille
you know what a poor, ignorant, conceited
creature ] was when ! went from here into
the wide world as a soldier? What use is
all the lying, and pretending, and humbuC
gng, and letting on, when the day comes TO
you that your comrade is killed in the trench
beside you, and you don't as much as look
round at him until you trip over his poor
body, and then all you say is to ask why
the divil the stretcher-bearers don't take il
out of the way? Why should read the
papers to be humbugged and lied to by them
that had the cunning TO stay at home and
send me to fight for them? Don't talk %
me or to any soldier of the war being right.
No war is right; and all the holy water that
Father Quinlan ever blessed couldn't make
one right There, sir! Now you know WI a.
OFlaherty ". c. thinks; and you're wiser
than the others that only knows what he
done.
Sir Pearce (makng the best of it. and
turning good-humoredly to him again.
Well, what you did was brave and manly,
anyhow.
OFlaherty- God knows whether it was or
not better than you nor me, General. l hope
He won't be too hard on me for it, anyhow