The Irish standard., 1919-10-18

in the curriculum of the college is that
each student must choose Gaelic as a
modern language.
On the night of Aug. Ia last! 400
British troops anu 500 constabulary-
all fully equipped and armed. and ac-
companied by whippet tanks surround
ed the cottage in whicn those seven
girls were sleeping, brutally ordered
them out of the house, in scant attire,
and proceeded to search the house.
Their barbarity might be even excusa-
ble-if in the very elasticity Of char
ity such acts can be excused-had they
conducted their search in an orderly
manner.
But they plunged their bayonets in
to the bedclothes. thrust them through
pictures on the walls, tore down cur
tains, smashed all the chinaware,
threw the girls clothes and personal
effects out through windows, broke
mirrors and glassware, and left the
house a complete wreck.
Meanwhile those seven refined girls
were out on the roadside, surrounded
by these Gordon of troops who hurled
every conceivable abuse and insult up
on them. When came away from
home my sister was still semi.hysteri-
cal from the fright of the whole thing.
DiscourteousIy Treated.
On the whole l was treated Slight
ingly by the British officers. They were
| on several occasions openly discourte-
| Gus, and in most cases calculatingly
abrupt. | never saw any evidence of
comaraderie or mutual consciousness
Of having fought a war together
thought that maybe l was unfortu-
nate in my experiences with them. So
consulted in a cautious way with 9TH
er American officers who travelled on
the boat with me from Holyhead to
Dublin and on the trains.
The voluntary consensus was that,
judging from the treatment they had
received in England and particularly
from the British officers, indicated to
them that the British people have, to
use well-known phrase, mo use for
the American uniform"
Some of them suggested that the
low value of the British pound-now
$4.21-had something to do with their
rancor.
Irish People Patient Under Provoca-
ton.
The attitude Of the Irish people, un-
der the awful system of repression
which only strong nation can inflict
with impunity on weaker one, is the
, most commendable fact that have no.
ticed. During my stay there l never
saw an act, never heard word, never
surprised a glance that might be in
terpreted as provocative.
There is a tense, menacing silence
however, in the atmosphere which
proves to you, without knowing why,
that they have almost reached the
limit of endurance.
Touching Faith in America.
What do they think about America?
Well, they have begun to lose faith in
America. While President Wilson was
prOclaiming that all small nations
would get chance to live, If we won
the war it appears the Irish had high
hopes and pinned all their faith on
America. Now they have seen their
dream shattered, and I believe they
have settled down to a state of SUBJ
jective despair.
Their great question to me every
where was: "Tell us, is America CO.
ing to do anything at all for us?"
tried to explain to them, more for the
sake of specious argument then any
thing else, that the American. people
thoroughly sympathized with them,
but from the viewpoint of information
al technicality, the United States
could not officially interfere.
The answer always was: "Then, If
America does not help US, what in
Gods name will become of us?"
All that those people are now con-
scious of is this: That they are under
martial law enforced with all the hor-
rors incident to its most atrocious ap-
plication; that there are 250,000 Brit
ish troops prepared, and that this ma
tion is taxed to support these forces Of
rapine and plunder. One cannot but re-
ceive the impression that the Irish peo-
pie have been seized with despair
that is dangerous to their mentality.
I brought away with me from Ireland
a permanent consciousness Of sadness.