The Irish standard., 1917-09-15
DON'T GE FRESH
SIR JAMES
Take a Look at the Army and Navy
Records Before Denouncing
"Irishism."
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Salt Lake Paper Ably Refutes
Gerard SIur.

Helena, Mont, Aug. 26.-James w.
Gerard, former ambassador of the
United States to Germany, speaking
denounced "Prussian-Irishism" and
scored in bitterest language the assist
ance given the central powers by
"some misguided Irishmen, who
thought they were assisting Ireland to
get home rule and freedom"
Mr.. Gerard arrived here this morn
ing from Minneapolis and is en- route
to Hamilton, Mont, to visit Mrs. Ger
ard at her mothers ranch.
Commenting editorially upon the
above dispatch, which appeared in the
newspapers of last Monday, the Des-
eret Evening News of Salt Lake, the
official paper of the Mormon church,
declared that the matter must not be
misunderstood; that the great body of
Irish-Americans were intensely loyal.
The editor of the News said:
Press dispatches quote former AM
bassador Gerard as denouncing in bit
ter terms those misguided Irishmen"
in this country who are helping the
central powers of Europe in the hope
of Fastening home rule and freedom
for Ireland. No fault can be found
with the terms of the arraignment, be-
cause the course Of conduct referred
to is at once as disloyal, dishonest,
contemplate and foredoomed to dis
appointment and failure as anything
possibly can be. The one objection to
the indictment is that it may create
an impression among the thoughtless
that the tendency which Mr.. Gerard at
of the race. Nothing could be farth-
er from the truth. The actual number
of traitorous Irishmen in the United
States is small, and ridiculously out
of proportion to the noise which they
make. Of the vast majority, whose
loyalty is as deep and abiding as in
the most patriotic native who traces
descent from colonial sires, we do not
hear so much. Facts in plenty are
available, however, to show where they
stand. The records or our armed fore
es-regular and volunteer particularly
show an astonishing preponderance
of men born in Ireland or descended
from Irish ancestry. There are some
regiments whose personnel is wholly
Irish; and it is said by student of
recent statistics that in a large num-
Der of military units whose records
had come under his observation, he
found the percentage of recruits who
could be traced directly or indirectly
to Ireland to be no less in any in
stance than 80, and in some cases
above 90! Such showing indicates
nothing of the misguided" tendency
which Mr.. Gerard scores so severely.
Proverbially the sons of Erin are
the readiest and most responsive on
earth to the call of either frolic or
a fracas. They are emotional, brave,
and with spiritual background that
is peculiarly effective in keeping them
true to their best traditions and ideals.
They can be depended upon in any
crisis, and they are ready to prove
the sincerity of their professions by
the valor of their deeds. And how they
do love a rumpus! Illustrative OF
which trait is the story of one of them
who, describing the privations he had
undergone and the shocking things the
enemy had done, added: Its shufe
bitther fightin', the nastiest, dirtiest
fightin' the wurrld ever saw, and It's
bastes yere fightin' against. But, by
the same token it's shure betther than
no fghtin' at ALL"