Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-10-31
LOOKS LIKE A
SCHOOLMASTER
Eamonn de Valera Is Tall,
but Is Not at All
Imposing
SILAS BLAKE AXTEL

What manner of man is Eamonn
de Valera, president of the Irish
Republic, who is to make a public
address in Convention Hall Sunday
night? Here is\a brief description
of him, written by Stirling Bowen
in the Detroit News:
"a schoolmasterly appearing
man, who sat with his shoulders for
ward and whose large hands. when
| they were not gesticulating, re-
mained tensely clasped between his
knees. He wore q dark gray suit
and a dark gray overcoat. He is
tail, but not imposingly so, and his
manner is, to repeat, unassuming."
De Valera insists that nothing ex-
cept Gaelic be spoken in his home.
lie has six children, the eldest 10
years old.
1t is told by Harry ]. Boland.
member of the Dali Eireann, the
irish Assembly, and secretary of the
Slnn Fein organization, who is
travelling with De Valera, that some
years ago there was a pilgrimage in
ireland to the place of the Irish
klngs OF yore. 1t was q ceremony
! in which Nationalists with a love
OF Gaelic, both men and women.
TOOK much interest.
welded His Gaelic Teacher
A prize was offered for the girl
who would be first to reach the ton
OF sacred hill, associated with Irish
tradition. The first to the ton was
Slnead nj Flanagan. And Sinead
~ t1annigan is now Mrs. De Valera.
IL was some time after the pilgrim
age, on which she and De Valera
met, that she became a teacher of
Gaellc In Leinster College. There
De Valera was one of her pupils.
The wedding followed.
Son of an Irish mother and father
De valera chose. the career of a col
IeGe professor, from which the Sim
rem movement called him. He was
arrested and imprisoned for his part
III the easter rebellion, but because
OF his birth in New York City ulti-
mately was released. At a Sim
rem meeting in Dublin the other
day he was reelected president of
the organization. His visit to Amer
lca Is for a threefold purpose, to
raise a fund of five million dollars.
10 obtain recognition of the Irish
Republic by the United States and
10 roster commercial relations be-
tween Ireland and America.
Genius in Absorbed Mood
travelling to Detroit a few davs
ago, newspaper man interviewed
De valera on the train. After the
irish president" had talked of his
plans for some time he was inter-
rupted by Mr.. Boland, who said:
Lets eat. Here, Mr.. President.
is brush and comb. You can wash
your hands in this bowl"
DeNalera paid no attention. In
stead, he said: Even though Ire
land were given a paper constitution
like that of Canada, which of course
would never be If England NcouId
help 1t, Ireland would not have the
home rule that Canada and Aus
tralia enjoy"
Mr.. Boland leaned over and
grasped De Valera by the shoulders
and succeeded in getting him on his
feet. He then thrust a comb in
his hand and showed him the mir
ror on the wall. De Valera's hair
was rumpled by the running of his
fingers through it. But Mr.. Boland
left the room too soon and De Valera
threw the comb on a seat, saying:
Come on"
His hands, by the way. were
smooth and clean, with nails that
had been recently manicured. His
hair, not lately cut, had a medita-
| tive twist, if hair can be twisted
De Nalera'S is not curly