The Irish standard., 1918-08-03

7dve Son9ISse NSs EavoTaO'y OPoH
It-senator King Opposes It
Petition Also Sent to President
by Committee From the
mothers Mission"
The love of the Irish people in
America for their native land was
clearly demonstrated last week in
Washington, when petitions in her be.
half were presented to the President
and the Congress of the United States.
In accordance with the action taken
at the Irish Race Convention, held in
New York, May 10 and 10 last, sub.
committee of the Mothers Mission, -
composed of Mrs. Mary F. McWhor.
ter, national president of the Ladies'
Auxiliary to the Ancient Order of Hi
bernians; Mrs. A. Christy of Cleve-
land, Ohio, national vice-president, L.
A., A. o. H.; Mrs A. R. Mooney, state
president, l.. A., Connecticut; Mrs. M.
A. Gallagher, state president, L. A.,
Pennsylvania, and Mrs, Alice McWil-
liams, county president, Kings County,
New York, came to Washington last
week and presented their petition to
Mr.. Tumulty at the White House.
1t was the intention and hope of
this Committee to place the petition
in the hands of the President but Mr..
Tumulty in a gracious Letter to Mrs.
McWhorter (chairman) said: lowing
to the many official demands upon
the President just now, it would be
impossible for him to set time to
meet the Committee of Mothers, but
if the memorandum be sent to him,
he would be glad to present it to the
President at the earliest possible mo-
ment"
The petition presented was as fol-
lows:
Chicago, Ill.,, July 8, 1918.
Hon. Woodrow Wilson,
President of the United States Of
America,
Washington, D. G.
your Excellency:
"a convention of American citizens
of Irish blood was held in New York
City on the 18th and 10Th of May for
the purpose of drafting a petition to
your honored self and to the members
Of the Congress asking that you take
such action as in your best judgment
will secure to Ireland the same rights
accorded to all the other small ma
tons.
"The delegates to this convention
were men and women representing
large bodies of citizens in every Sec
ton of the United States who have
many thousands of near relatives
serving this Republic in the Army
and Navy.
among the woman delegates were
many mothers of sons now among
Americas fighting forces in France,
and many more who have sons in the
training camps here ready and eager
to join the forces abroad for the pur-
pose of defending with their lives
American ideals.
"a number of these mothers were
born in Ireland and the balance are
If Irish extraction. Naturally they are
Interested in the fate of unhappy Ire
and, and the recent events over there
nave rendered them very uneasy.
They say that their boys, too, are un-
Easy, not knowing what may be hap
,ening to their kin in the cradle-land
If their race. Many of these mothers
eel that if number of them could
ret an interview with you, Mr.. Presi-
lent, and in that interview present
reland's case in the name of their
,oys for your consideration, that you
would take up the cause of the Irish
people in Ireland and see that they
llso are included among the peoples
:or whom you so nobly advocate the
right of self-determination. These
have cheerfully given their
boys for the sacred cause of American
freedom as we'll as the cause of the
races of the earth, and they
are positive that even though you
have never mentioned Ireland in your
public declarations on behalf of these
races, nevertheless they
can depend on you to see that no in
Justice is done to Ireland at the Peace
because she happens to
be held in bondage by one of our CO.
belligerents.
"After discussing matters of this
nature, these mothers petitioned the
writer to organize what they were
pleased to term a Mothers Mission
who would proceed to Washington and
lay their troubles at the feet of you,
their Chief Executive. was not cho-
sen an organizer of this Mission be.
cause 7 had not sons with our fighting