Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-10
Widow of
Makes Plea
Asks Fair Play in Fight for
Freedom From British Rule.
In Testimony Before Com.
mittee of 100.
Help for Children Urged

! Washington, Dec. 9.-The widow
of the late Lord mayor of Cork,
Mrs. Muriel MacSwiney,~ presented
today to the commission of 100 in
vestigating the Irish question, his
tory of the hunger strike in Brix-
ton prison, London, of her husband
and of his death and the details as
she had witnessed them. OF attempts
! by the Irish republicans TO gain free
dom for their country.
Mrs. MacSwfney concluded her
story with the declaration England
shall have no peace, the world will
have no peace, until our republic is
recognized"
Miss Mary MacSwiney. sister of
the late lord mayor. recalled to add
details to the story she told the
commission yesterday, added to the
declaration of her sister-in-law. the
assertion that the coming winter
will be Ireland's Valley Forge. and
appealed for American aid, not, she
said for the men and women of Ire
land but for the children.
Pleads for Children.
r The coming winter in Ireland
said Miss MacSwiney. will be
hard. The British have destroyed
our crops, our supplies of food. The
men can get on; the women can
stand the suffering; but it is for
the children | plead. We must have
! help this winter
The widow of the lord mayor of
Cork declared there was no choice
for the Irish republicans but to stand
together whatever the cost and con-
tinue to fight for independence. She
said it was such a spirit that had
actuated her husband to refuse food
until death.
Il knew my husband was happy
as his physical strength was worn
away by hunger, for his countenance
absolutely radiated peace and con
tentment," Mrs. MacSwiney as
serted. II was besought to plead
with him to take food. But / would
not. for / never, never would inter
! fere with my husband in a matter
! OF conscience. 1t was hus choice.
1t was the decision OF his spirit"
Movement Benefited.
Miss MacSwiney expressed the be-
lief that the fatal hunger strike OF
her brother had greatly bnefitad the
Irish independence movement. She
told of the series of kilograms she
had exchanged with Premier Lloyd
George in an attempt to fix responsi-
bility for her brothers prison sen
tence and for the treatment he and
his relatives had been accorded by
the British government.
"The result of this exchange OF
kilograms" she added. made me
feel that Lloyd George was respon-
sible before God and man for the
death of my brother. / shall con
tinue to feel that way and ! shall
continue to spread that feeling
throughout of al of Ireland.
Miss MacSwiney gave an account
Of what she characterized as con-
spiracy between officials of Brixton
prison and the British home Office
TO defeat plans of the family TO
take the lord mayors body back to
Cork" because, she said, THE
British feared an uprising and they
did not want any more trouble than
they already had"
Asks Fair Play.
I'VE Irish are no domestic prob
lem of England's,"S she said. "We
are an international problem. Our
ideals, the ideals of all Irish repub-
licans, are the same and my plea
to the American people is that you
at least give fair play and justice
to us, for the British stories of the
separatist movement do not carry
all the facts. We are not divided
and we intend that the whole world
shall know the truth, both of our
cause and the Misrepresentation of
the British"
The commission tomorrow will
hear several former members of the
Royal Irish constabulary.
- Tells of His Arrest.
| Mrs. MacSwiney recounted the ar
rest on August II, 1920 and the be
ginning of the last hunger strike.
Her husband, she said, was charged
with having had code used by the
police, and she asserted that this was
proper because of his position as
lord mayor. She was present at the
trial and said the lord mayor told
her then of his intention to continue
on hunger strike. She became COR
vinced then, she declared, that he
would die of starvation unless the
British government granted his re-
lease.
After my husband made his
speech at the trial." she continued,
| guess | became resigned, accus-
toned to what the future was to
bring. The shock came first. |;
came harder on me then. After that
! sa.a..a.loA I x