Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-19
TIP. 0'CONNOR DESCRIBES
HIS MISSION TO AMERICA
tion to SEQ War Through
to End.
IRISH ARE ANTAGoNIsTIC HERE
Old Methods OF Raising Funds for
Nationalist Have to BE Dis
carded-Warm Weather In New
York flinders Work.
BY IT. T.. O'CONNOR.


LONDON. May lS.-This must pri-
marily be the story of mission by an
individual: but side by side with that
story there will be u study of nation
going through the experiences Of war
time, The stories fit into each other:
sometimes crossing, sometimes inter-
rupApg. sometimes explaining each
other. Let me. however. anticipate
everything that follows by giving the
conclusion OF my story even before
have started its beginning. The
America OF to-day. as compared with
the America l saw in June OF last
year is different America: almost u
new America. i have no doubt what
ever as TO the infcxible determine lion
OF Great Britain. nor OF France, nor Of
Italy; but II comparisons were permits
siole, / would say that the country OF
whose Iron determination to see this
thing through. I have the least doubt
Is America.
My colleagues had represented to me
that 1t was absolutely essential to the
continuance of the Irish party, to the
preservation Of the home rule cause
and to saving Ireland from destruction.
that i should undertake mission to
America. Somebody had TO go, and
was the one to go. | pass over the
misgivings which naturally would come
TO man approaching his seventeen
year TO undertake journey with some
peril with many more difficulties and
unplcasantncss. with j great deal of
labor and with an uncertain result
But l know there was no choice for
me. and l assented.
had not been more than few
hours in New York when realized
that, for the moment. the masses OF
my race in New York, If not all over
and myself. not merely vchemcntly. but
hercely with something indeed like
frenzy. and that the hostility was ac-
companied also by certain personal
bitterness against myself as the en-
bodiment OF all that the traditions,
policies and methods which they at
that moment most violently dis
approved
realized at once-I had dimly real
ixed IT even before l left London-that
tho old methods by which ] had re-
planished the funds of our party were
now Impossible. Formerly my course
had been simple, casy-almost pleasant
as much as continuous travel in an
other land OF long distances can. and
on a begging mission-can ever be
pleasant spoke nrst to large and
unanimous meetings in New York
then l went on the short Journey OF
TWO hours to Philadelphia where there
ana more generous audience; thence it
was easy to so TO Boston TO find the
same experience, and so by visits to
a dozen towns or ! had been able
10 gather - much funds as were neccs-
sary 10 start the Irish party again on
their long and checkered journey to
the goal OF their purposes got
plenty OF warnings that any such
course was now impossible. ] learned
that the enemies of our party-so i'm
poten, with all their loud shoutings
on all previous occasions-had for
once and at last become the spokes-
men OF Al least the masses Of the Irish
people.
Ny mind was made up at once-no
public meetings for the present but
quiet. silent. steady work; patience and
confidence in inevitable events and in
time; and for the moment, an entire
change Of my plans.
For a time, moreover, was para
lyzed in any effort to fulnll my mis-
sion by another factor. New York, /,
is we'll known, Is exceptionally hot in
the summer months. and nobody who
has any means remains in its torrid
streets. That meant that all the saner
lrshmen-thosc in position or of
wealth-werc not TO be found in New
York, and thus l was equally baked
In any attempt to get at either the
poor or the rich. the sane or the in
sane. But though the heat was great
In New York. l cannot say suffered
from II nearly as much as antici-
pated.
T. p. TELLS OF HIS FIRST
SUMMER IN AMERICA
had never been In the country be-
fore at that season, and / found that.
accordingly, i had to revise some Of
my Impressions derived from nv
knowledge of the America of the
spring, winter and autumn. America
in the three seasons has no resem
blance whatever to America In sum-
mer. had invitations to various sea-
side resorts in different parts OF the
country. among others to the coast OF
Massachusetts and the coast OF Jersey
Never shall 1 forget the impression
made upon me bby a days motoring
along the coast OF Massachusetts. /
was staying at Cohasset with my