The Irish standard., 1919-05-10
23O Echo Place, New York,
April Is, 1919.
Mr.. George L. Fox,
University School,
New Haven. Conn.

University School,
New Haven, Conn.
Dear Sir:
My attention has just been called to
j the fact that at hearing before the
Committee of Foreign Affairs Of the
House of Representatives on Decem-
ber 12, 1918, you made the following
statements:
~ Irish who fought for US in
the Revolutionary War were very
small portion of the whole country.
(2) "In the statistics published by
the Census Bureau in 1907 1t is shown
that the first time census was taken
only O.105 of the population of the
United States were Irish and most of
those were Presbyterian Irish.
(3) "There was hardly one-half of
one per cent of Roman Catholic Irish
in the Revolutionary Army.
(4) There were no Roman Catholic
Irish in the Constitutional Convention
and very few here at the time Of the
Declaration Of independence.
(5) "The Irish who fought in the
Revolution, constituted not more than
s per cent, many of whom were Prot
estants from Ulster.
(6) "There Is not the slightest ba-
sis for gratitude for what they (the
1rish) did for America.
ca "The English race formed 81
per cent of the population of the Uni
ted States, according to the First Cen
sus."
A copy of the official report of this
hearing, issued by the Government
Printing Office, has been sent to me.
understand that on various other oc-
casions you have uttered similar as
sertions, and am informed also that
you have persistently circulated these
statements through the newspapers Of
the country and other means.
don't know what your purpose is
or what your sources of information
are, although l shall assume for the
time being that you honestly believe
you are right. But, as all your state
ments are contrary to the facts, and
as many people have been deceived by
them, believe it will be matter of
public interest at this time to have the
light thrown on the alleged contribu-
tion Of the Irish to the success of the
American Revolution.
You intimated at the hearing re-
ferred to that you are student of this
question and, doubtless, you are pre-
pared to submit proofs in support of
your assertions, and if you are ready
and willing to do so, suggest that you
and l meet in public friendly debate
on this question. In fact, 1 hereby
challenge you to such debate, and,
in order to meet your own conven-
fence, you are at liberty to select any
public hall in your own city of New
Haven and name your own chairman;
invite the public by any means you
may choose and let the audience be
the arbiters of the facts. I am will
ling to adhere to any reasonable con-
ditions you may name.
As to the arrangements, perhaps it
would be best to place them in the
hands Of two gentlemen Of New Ha-
ven, one to be selected by each Of us,
and let them arrange the details. 1t
may be that the matter would prove Of
sufficient interest to permit small ad-
mission charge of. say, twenty-five
cents, to defray the expense. and re-
ceipts over and above to be RENTED
to the Red Cross. In the meantime,
am willing to advance my share Of |
the preliminary expense, IL any.
As ! am personally unknown to you
possibly my connection with the Am
er4can Irish Historical Society may be
acceptable as Q sufficient guarantee Of
nysrespectability and standing. Pres
dent Wilson was . member of this
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