The Washington times., 1920-12-08
TAKESSTANO
IN |R|SAPROBE
Fight for Freedom "lnsurrection
Against Tyranny" Says
Dead Mayors Sister.
ISSUE IS NOT RELIGIOUS
Tells Commission Many Leaders
of independence Forces Are
Protestants.

The religious question does not
enter into Ireland's fight for inde-
pendence, it was declared here TO-
day by Miss Mary McSwiney, sis
ter of the martyred lord mayor Of
Cork, who testified before the Amer
lean commission on Ireland.
"Indeed," said Miss McSwiney,
"many Of Ireland's most reverenced
leaders have been Protestants."
FIRST WITNESS.
| ness to appear before the commits
sion when 1t resumed it's hearings.
Two new members were seated to-
day: Former Senator j. J. MARITIME
of New Jersey and Senator Thomas
F.. Walsh of Montana. Congressman
elect c. L. Knight, of Akron. Ohio.
also has accepted an invitation to
become a member. II was snnopnced
Miss McSwiney, began her tssti-
mony with q detailed account of the
causes OF the Irish troubles of to-
day. She explained 1reland's history
and that OF her family. the members
of which, she told the commission
, with flashing eyes, always had been
identified with the fight for Irish
freedom.
This is not a new nght," she de-
| clared; "it Is merely the continuation
Of fght begun centuries ago. 1t Is
not a rebellion. for n rebellion can
only be made against a legally con-
! stituted authority. This Ia An insur-
rection---an insurrcction against a
| tyrannicai authority which Ireland
has never recognized"
~LANDLORD TYRANNY,
Ireland has suffered from landlord
tyranny for years. she said. One
particular thing which the Irish OBJ
jectcd to, she said, was that Catholic
parishes were forced to contribute to
the support of non-Catholic clergy
who did not reside in Ireland and
who were paid out Of public funds
gathered in taxes.
In anticipation OF hearing, Mrs.
Muriel McSwiney, widow Of the lord
mayor. a great crowd gathered about
40 Seventh street, where the hear
ing was held. 1t Is planned to put
the widow on the stand later in the
day.
CHARGES STARVATION.
Miss McSwiney charged that the
English for years have had . starva-
tion policy toward Ireland.
And now" she said heated1y, they
have engineered to starve ireland out
entirely. II Ireland was independent
and could close her ports, she would
save for herself 100000 pounds OF
meat and corn weekly, having value
of x60,o00,000. But England has sent
her soldiers to keep Irish ports open.
so that this immense stock Of food 10
taken away
The witness gave a graphic account
OF the Anglicizlng of the Irish schoola.
The teachers, 3hc said, were under
British influence and no Irish history
was taught, even the Gaelic language
being forbidden.
when I was a child going to school
in Cork. / never knew there was
such thing as irish history" she
declared.
She told tho committee how the
schools were Hnancod by the British.
A certain portion of the whiskey tax
went to the schools. Thus" she
said, ''if Irlshmen kept sober, ther.
was no money for the schools; II
Irishmen kept drunk. there was .
little"
Her brother the lord mayor, was
not q Sim Feiner. Miss McSwiney
said. Terence had always maintain
ed that ireland In fact was a repub.
lie, and believing this, had held the
| Slnn II Gin movement 10 bt I2Cll 0O-
mission that IL was not.
Miss McSwiney told the committee
that the educational system In Ire
land was intended to denationAllze
the Irish rcoplc. and shat tho only
schools In Ireland worthy OF the namc
were the hedge schools" 50 called
because tho schoclmastsr taught IN
k<ho open. often sitting on q hedge.
She said a publisher of u text was
; fined for printing In one OF tie
! school hooks u poem by Sir Walter
Scott: "Breathes there . man with
soul so dead" etc This poem 10 In
tho English text books. shc said. but
IL was decided that IL was not DE-
sIrable in tho Irish school books.
. REpEus TO PROPAGANDA.
She said that a great deal Of prora-
ganda was being circulated In Eng
land about tho commission In this
country investi1 atinG conditions In
ireland. the gist of which WAS that
tho committee would whitcwash the
"scts OF violence In Ireland by the
Irish"
She thanked the American people
Tor the welcome they had given her
ard Mrs Mcswiney. and said that
tho work of the commission vss -
A