The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-27
IRISH REPUBLIC IN
GREEN CARD SHINDY
Recognized by q. s. During
Draft, Comes Claim Via
Flimsy.
"OH, NO., CONBOY REPLIES
-Four Registrars Humored by
Board Still British Sub
jects, He Says.

1t Is impossible for a finite mind IA
make GU. whether the Government OF
the United States has recognized the
Irish republic or not The subject as
developed yesterday is too controversial
On the one hand behold the Irish Pro-
gresslve League, which pours forth vel
low fiimsy from 22s Lexington avenue
ana which seems to think that this rec
| ognition has taken place. On the other
stands Martin Conboy. Director OF the
Draft for New York city. who cl!ngs to
the older and moro prevalent opinion
that an Irlshman born in Ireland and
not naturalized elsewhere is, technically
speaking, a British subject.
BY comparing the utterance OF the
Irish Progressive League and Mr. Con-
boys running comment thereon Sun
readers may at least be qualified to ap'
proach the puzzle with diminished Diff
| dence.
THAT a citizen OF the Irish republic
may register as such has been decideo
by Director Of the Draft Conboy.' says
the Irish Progressive League In yeilo"
flimsy sheet received by this newspaper
yesterday afternoon.
Untrue" says Mr.. Conboy.
| ION September 49," continues The
iimsy, Paul ]. Hayes, Sean O'Hehh
Lawrence O'Neill and Patrick J. Fitz'
gerald. all of 24o West Thirty fourth
street, offered themselves for registra'
ton before Local Board 40. Thirty
fourth street and Eighth avenue. and &c
the question Of what State or countr,
they were citizens or subjects they an
swered Irish Republic.
| quite true" says Mr.. Conboy.
| Refusal of Resistration.
| THE local board refused to register
them as such and refused to Issue greer
cards certifying to their registration IL
the fiimsy's next sentence.
TRUE" says Mr.. Conboy.
| Robert D. Murray, member OF th'
Legal Advisory Board, had the men ar
rested and they were committed to thu
Tombs by United States Commissions
Hitchcock. where they remained si'
days" the fimsy says next.
Probably true says Mr.. Conboy
II mean that ] don't know exactly how
long they were in jail
Tho fiimsy: They were then admit
ted to bail in tine sum of $500 each"
Mr.. Conboy: II suppose that was thu
amount; don't know"
i The fiimsy: Their attorney. W. II
Daily Of s: Broadway, took the cas-
before Draft Director Conboy. who
after a hearing, issued an order direct
ing the local board to take their regis
tration and issue certificates"
Incorrectly stated says Mr.. Con
boy.
| Not only do the records OF the loca
board contain statement OF their Irisl
citizenship, but the green cards issue,
to them contain the Endorsement, A cit
lien of the Irish republic on Form H.
says the fimsy.
II DO not know about any such in
dorsement," says Mr.. Conboy.
This morning before Commissions
Hitchcock" concludes the fimsy, 'tn,
criminal proceedings we're dismissed"
That is the case" says Mr.. Conboy
Now let me state the facts. WheI
these four men appeared on registration
day they answered Irish republic I,
the question Is to their citizenship.
appeared that they were born in Irelant
and had not become American citizens
The registrar refused to accept til,
Irish republic answer, and as soon a.
the men refused to give any other the,
were arrested and held -or several days
Their attorney and Assistant Unite,
States Attorney Atwater came to SCI
me. The question was whether a reg
istrar Of a draft board knowing Their
was no such recognized national or
ganization as the Irish republic. coul,
accept the statement OF a registrar
that he was a citizen O. that republic.
Everybody Happy, Maybe.
In view OF the fact that there is spac
on the registration card 10 which III,
registrar certifies that the answers givcl
by the registrant are true TO thb best o
his knowledge Excepting as follows" 1
was agreed that the assertion OF thes
four men that they were citizens OF tn
Irish republic should he accepted bu
should be corrected by the registrar, VIII,
should say on the card that tho state
ment was erroneous and that the me,
were citizens of Great Britain. The car,
on which this correction appears is til
official record of the draft board
/ So yesterday morning the four lib
Grated Irish patriots went 10 Local Boar,
10 and marched proudly away Will
their little green cards, on the backs O
which was written "A citizen OF the Iris
Republic on Form l." Form l is tn
original registration card on which theI
answers were recorded and which stay
in the possession or the board. But II
the boards classification lists Messrs
Hayes. O'Hehir. O'Neill and Fitzgeral,
are described as citizens OF Great Britain
So It appears that in their own mind
and on Form 1. but nowhere else in tn
world, are they citizens of the Irish re
public. But as somebody remarked sew
eral thousand years ago, THE mind /
its own place"
Finally this comment from a membe
OF Board 10:
I'VE try to make the draft procedur
as pleasant as possible for every one !
a man insists that he Is a French ROYAL
list or a citizen OF the moon we shall b
pleased to humor him. He may he abb
10 derive some satisfaction from showin
his friends his green card which says h
; said he was a royallst or lunar emigrant
But in the records of the draft board
which are the records OF the Unite
states Government, the truth appears"
+ OFF TO RELIEVE GREECE.
Red Cross Commission sails I
/ Combat Typhus.
A Fed Cross commission headed N