Arizona republican., 1918-07-29
IRISH LEADER SAYS
 AMERICA WOULD G0
 ALONE F NEED BE
Republican A. p. Leased Wire1

Republican A. p. Leased Wire]
 NEW YORK, July 2S.-Impressions of T. r. O'Connor. NJ. P. were written for the Associated Press just before his departure for England and for publication at the time of his arrival. Mir. O'Connor was in this country for more than year IS commission CT of the Irish parliamentary party, and he soon joined labor's campaign 10 create allied sentiment among the Irish.
 If any one or all of the European nations should in war weariness show any sign of accepting an inconclusive peace he said. America would keep on even if she had to stand alone"
 The Irish leader sees President Will son as dominantly Celt and sees con- tradiction between the president of the photograph and the president of the living flesh and blood After telling of his arrival in New York in June, 1917, Mir. O'Connor writes:
 First Impressions Not Encouraqinq 'I must own my first impressions were not encouraging from any point Of view. Within a few hours 1 had every evidence on the one hand that the anti English sentiment had not yet spent itself and still confused the is
 
 on the other hand. the sight of this great rich city. rushing as I thought, to every seaside resort in the vacation spirit of the summer, was in marked contrast to the sombre attitude and atmosphere of the city had left after three years of war. Further, 1 found in private conversation, a startling evidence of a division of mind and opinion as to Americas intervention in the war which was expressed with an openness which surprised and even paiped me.
 ''I speak of this first impression now frankly because I am able to say I saw the transformation of feeling. I am now convinced that of all nations in this war, the one that feels most pas sionately. most unitedly and most ruth lessly. is America I will even go the length of saying that if any one or all of the European nations should in war weariness show any sign of accepting an inconclusive peace America would keep on, even if she had to stand alone: and that wherever else the Germans may look for a spirit of compromise they cannot look for it, or even for an approach to it. from the people of the United States"
 Interviews With Wilson.
 Mir. O'Connor tells of spending the first three months in New York and of q trip to Chicago. where he addressed the Irish Fellowship club. Then he placed himself at the disposal of the National Security league speaking fre- quently in Chicago and subsequently, in San Francisco.
 ] paid several visits to Washing ton" he writes, especially at mo- ments when matters became critical at home and when it was necessary to explain the attitude of my party.
 Among the experiences 1 recollect with the greatest pleasure were two interviews with the president, and es. pecially an interview I had with hin immediately before my departure had been student of his writings an( speeches for many years. and though had never met him before, I felt a. though l was acquainted with hi. thought and temperament. must add that my personal interviews with hin had the effect of changing some of the impressions which are suggested bS his public appearance and especially by his photographs. The president o the photograph and the resident of tn, HNlng flesh and blood seen close a hand are almost contradiction.
 Mind Picture of President.
 The severity of feature in the pho tograph entirely disappears when vol are seated opposite him. Let me sun Up my impressions from a private in. terview, by saying that he is a mal oi perfect simplicity. transparent sin cerity, rigid adhesion to well though out principles and almost Celtic i'm pulsiveness of warm feeling, tempered rather than controlled by the caution. side of his partially Scotch Irish an, cestors. Indeed, to me he is mucl more dominantly Celtic than Scotch Irish. or course, I am not at liberty 10 reveal his expression, except to sa! that l regard him as a genuine anC sincere friend of Ireland.
 T return home at the urgent reques or Mir. Dillon and bring a message O cheer to everybody in Europe on ou side, by the account I can give of thu splendid spirit of the American people and l rejoice, above all, that my visi extended to the time when the hraver, -. and skill of the American troops win dicated the position l held from tn beginning that Americas intervention made complete victory over the force of Germany an absolute certainty"