The Irish standard., 1919-09-27
SEARCH LIGHT THROWN
ON BRITISH PROPAGANDA

British propaganda agents have sue
ceeded in circulating throughout the
United States, also in other countries,
a story that when the Lusitania was
torpcdoed the Sim Tein supporters re-
fused TO assist in digging graves for
the victims. The British Propaganda
lists are always adroit, but bold. They
also are occasionally quite clumsy il.
their methods. Forgery of names, use
OF fictitious names, theft of documents
and distorting Of letters and state
ments are favoritc tactics. The Irish
National Bureau, wherever possible.
proposes to throw the search light of
publicity on British propaganda, and
the appended letter received recently
by Major Eugene f. Kinkead, former
Congressman from New Jersey, offers
convincing proof of the atrocious
falsehoods the English resort to in
seeking to prejudice the people of
Ireland in the eyes of America.
Bishops House,
Queenstown, Ireland July 16, 1919.
Major Eugene Il. Kinkead, New York.
Dear Sir:-l am III receipt of your
letter of June 80, and ! thank you for
forwarding me Il cutting from the New
York Times containing a letter signed
"R. w. st. HILL" and dated June rs,
1919, which | would not otherwise
have seen. In this letter am men
toned by name as having been an eve
witness to the narrowing scenes that
followed the torpedocing of the Steam
ship "Lsitania" in May 1913. did
witness these scenes, bli--plainly for
political purposes, and to attack a
particular party--l am represented in
this letter as a witness to an incident
which would have been very discred
liable if it had occurred, but which, III
realty, is an absolute fabrication, with
out any foundation IN fact
When | read this letter portions of
it seemed to me strangely familiar and
l could not at first tell why Then |
remembered that, in January, 1917, an
American journalist came to Queens
town looking for copy" regarding
the Lusitania' disaster. lie called to
me, J was very busy at the time, and,
in response to his repeated requests, ]
showed him type account which |
had put together shortly after the dis
aster in May, 1918, with no idea of
publication, but merely for the infor-
nation Of my own relatives who at the
time were widely scattered in different
Continents. ] heard no more about
the matter until May, 1918, when an
American sailor brought me cutting
from some paper containing Il nara
tive with which was rather amused
at the time for doubtless with a view
to dramatic effect the writer repre-
sented himself as standing by the
"Lusitania" graves and Cooking out
over the waters of Queenstown har-
bonr where floated warships bear
ing the white ensign of Eng land and
others with the Stars and Stripes" 4"
whereas We here know that the cem-
etery is in a deep valley and that it
would require liberal allowance of
the faith that moves mountains" to
shift the high hill that intervenes be-
tween it and the harbor. In this ac-
count, some Of the incidents given in
my typed sheet were rather badly
mixed up, but others, such as the in
cident Of the sailor who gave his
socks to the little shivering boy, were
correct. Now, l find this account
served up again but for a very diff
lferent purpose. During the war many
and many of the American sailors
called to me here and I always had
a welcome for them. l have a regis
ter in which entered the names and
addresses of some hundreds of Amer
ican boys and there is not a week that
do not get letters from some of the
fine lads whose friendship am glad to
possess. Several Hills figure in that
list, but cannot find "R. w. St. Hill"
nor can recall anyone of that name,
though his reference to photos here
in my room would seem to indicate
that he knows it.
I notice that my account of the dis
laster is now twisted to afford matter
for an attack on Mr.. de Valera. am
not a Sim Feiner. l believe. and al
ways have believed, that the self
government that we all desire for Ire
land could be better attained by other
methods, but must strongly protest
against the statement that is unfairly
and untruly worked into my narrative
that, at the time of the disaster, Sim
Feiners-though begged and implored
to assist in the digging of the graves