The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-05-18
A Day at The
Irish Front
by Margaret Walter

<hblin, April 25,-(By MMD-lreland
n certainly no place for tourists this
spring. The people who came over
here for the Easter vacation had 10
get away the best way they could East
er Saturday because nj noon That day
all the hotels closed. The landlords
said they could not possibly concede
the a. hour week to their walters De-
sides higher wages and various other
demands so they shut up their houses,
pulled down the green blinds and turn
ell the guests out into the road. All
that afternoon bands of well dressed
Strangers carrying suit cases wandered
through the quiet sunny old streets oi
Dublin and round and round the great
squares just burting into spring green
They knocked at private house doors
and stopped citizens to beg for place
To sleep. anywhere. in closet, han or
bathroom, ready to pay any money for
accommodation. The boats back to
England were inadequate and the Irish
| railroads were entirely disorgan1Led.
on Easter Monday not even station
masters knew whether trains were run
ming on sunday or week day sched'
ules.
This uncertainty runs through every
thing. Things which are foretold ana
planned for. never happen, it seems
and suddenly great steps are taken
without warning ana everybody settles
down to the new order merely remark
ing that that's the way ii always hap
pens Ia Ireland! As one Irishman has
put ii. history repeats itself yet the
nj
! Just year ago when | was over
|ARs,, it seemed as if it could only be
knatter of days when something big
1jSuld occur. The Irish We're determin'
ped to oppose conscription; it seemed
as If there could be no way out but
force, the country was flooded with
troops, and there were rumors of Gurka
regiments of black cut-throats ready TO
murder lrishmen in their beds.
Now after twelve months the coun-
try is still flooded with troops. As our
boats pulled into kingstown harbor the
first sight of that caught our atten-
ton was of armed sentres in steel
| helmets. "rhe Irish front" u native
proudly remarked. The soldiers are not
50 proud of it. \ young English lieu
| tenant told me he wouldn't like to have
to do anything more than keep his lit
tie squad encamped under the big rail
way bridge He said his men were
steadily going Sim Fein out of sym
pathy. for nothing could be more friend
ly than their relations with the local
natives. He himself had taken to read
ing Irish history. I'm not the same
as | was" he admitted.
A year ago people whispered of re-
bellion, plots We're everywhere, Sim
Fein flags were made by high spirited
little millners and hidden away; to-
day they float from windows any
where and you may go into shop
and ask for one as calmly as for II
pocket handkerchief. But they are not
popular everywhere. The jarvey of
| the side car who took us to the Mansion
House where the republican govern
ment" sits told us he didn't hold with
Sim Fein because it keeps the tourists
away. He pointed out the Bank of
, Ireland, where the Irish Parliament
Nel to sit That was a hundred
Ears ago will it sit there when
(they get it again." we asked. IF they
ever get it," he sneered. We made
a further bid for his opinion of the
prospects. I'VE could have a good
summer if it were not for the agita-
| ton" he said. you've maybe heard
| of Punchtown raceS-theyV stopped
them, and they're not the only ones;
and what can we expect in a country
where such things happen"
AS we passed the gaunt RUNE of the
great post office building which the
rebels held for a week three years
| ago, he muttered something and fin
| ally broke out: II don't hold with their
| notions. It's just starvin' us they are.
| Nobody will come to Ireland now for
sure There's not been a tourist for
| four years and now when they are be-
ginning to stream over a bit, off they
are driven by the strikes. There's no
living to be got now in Irelanad And
| all along of talk"
In a wholly different way the same
thing comes out in another class, the
demobilzed officer. Most Irish officers
volunteered for service in the army
| of occupation because there is nothing
waiting for them at home. For four
years now there has been no emigra-
. ton to America. Forty thousand peo-
. pie of the emigrant class. it is estimat-
| ed, are waiting to go to the United
States.
The educated are in the same fix.
| The only thing for a healthy young
soldier to do now is to take what
! money he is allowed by the govern
niAnt and clear out. The Argentine,
CaHnada, America, they are discussed
\ in every mess room, wages and jobs
are weighed and prospects calculated.
| I'm be only gone three years, you
/ know" said one young officer. Then
lIn come home with a wad of money
l from the Argentine and I'll maybe be
l able to marry" This boys two broth
ers We're killed in the first year of the
/ war. He has the Mons ribbon and
l record of brilliant service in Mesopo-
/ tamia and France. But there is moth