The Irish standard., 1918-11-09
The Splendid Record Of
The Fighting Race
Lieutenant Smea ksehsr Back Paris Tells Of valor Shown
Story Of Irish Woman Who Sent Her Eight Sons
- to the Front, Told BY Shane Leslie


mans Journal gives a rather interest
ing explanation of the fact that Irish
names figure so largely in the Ameri-
can army and navy lists. 1t is due to
the size of the average Irish-American
family as compared to the size Of the
families of American Professionals who,
he says, will not raise large families
even for Roosevelt. In the course of
his letter addressed to R. J. Kelly,
K.C., Dublin, Mr.. Leslie says:
"Their numbers in the forces are
surprise both to Government and
Church. They are being collected
slowly and such figures as have seen
in confidence are astounding. 1t is all
due to the large family, which the
American Protestant, good citizen as
he is, cannot be induced even by
Roosevelt to rear. There is story in
Boston that one of the small depopu.
lated churches there of Protestant
persuasion hung out service flag of
six stars. Whereupon Widow Macar-
thy of Ireland hung out one opposite
with eight! If it is only story it is
at least typical"
War Service Of the lrish-American.
It is to be regretted that all Irish
American societies have not inaugu-
rated movement similar to that in
augurated by the Ladies' Auxiliary,
A. o. H., for the purpose of preserv-
ing the records of Irish-American
achievement in the war. We take the
following item from a Catholic con-
temporary and commend it to the
heads of all Irish societies in America:
"Mrs. Mary F. McWhorter, of Chi
cago, national president of the Ladies'
Auxiliary of the Ancient Order of Hi
bernians, has inaugurated unique
questionable which is to be filled
out by every division president,
whereby the order may compile val
liable information. The answers will
deal with the number of relatives of
the members of the order serving in
each arm of the service, the number
of graduate nurses who are willing to
train for service and every phase of
war work in the various sections COW
ered,, while the amount of Liberty
Bonds and War Savings Stamps
bought is also requested. When all
the questionnaires have been return
ed, they will be handed to Miss Ada
K. Cannon, of Davenport, Iowa, to
whom has been assigned the task of
writing the history of the war service
rendered by the members of the La
dies Auxiliary, both in the United
States and Canada, that will go down
to posterity as to what they have
done to make the world safe for
democracy The national president
says in part: The history that will
tell to future generations the caliber
of the women who held membership
in the ranks Of the Ladies' Auxiliary,
A. o. H., in the stirring years COM
mencing with Good Friday, 1918, and
extending over the duration of the
present war, is being made today, it
will be our fault if those who come
after us will be unable to point with
pride to our patriotic achievements 4"
Credit and Results.
Under the heading "Credit and Re-
suits" the official organ of the Amer
lean Expeditionary Forces, "Stars and
Stripes" published in Paris, France,
says:
"a young, red-headed Irish private
was emerging from a front-line dug
out with the other members of his
squad. AS the last man came into the
open a Germantown grenade fell
only a few feet away. Without a Sec
ond's hesitation the young private
jumped forward, put his foot on the
grenade, and saved the remainder of
the squad, although one of his legs
was blown off and he suffered other
injuries which resulted in his death
two days later.
Back at the field hospital, when he
was asked how it happened, he an
swered simply: They got me with a
grenade He made no mention Of hav-
ing saved seven lives at the loss of
his own. He claimed no credit. With
him it was merely a matter of results
of having accomplished what he set
out to do accomplish, regardless of
anything else.
''This young American private's ex-
ample should stand as an emblem of
the war-which is not matter of
who may get any credit out Of it, but
purely a matter of result"
During the past week many Amer
lean papers have published long &C
counts of the actions of the Irish
American soldier at the front.
John McHugh Stuart, staff CORE
spondent of the International News