Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-06-25
DUKE CITY BOY
TELLS Of BRUSH
WITH SIM FEM
Was Stationed Near London
derry During Late War;
Tells of Pecu|iarities of
Emerald Isle. &c.,
(By An Ex-Sailor,)

In the streets of Londonderry
where the listers and Sim Fem
ers are now fighting a mob of the
latter, during the world war per.
iod, surrounded and stoned a small
group of American sailors who
were stationed at the U. S. naval
air station, at Tough Foyle, nine
miles east of the city.
Several albuquerque boys were
with the naval aviation service in
Ireland and England during the
war. A majority of the American
ships sunk by Hun submarines
went down off the coast of Ire
land.
The squabble we had with the
Irish started when three of the
gobs took too much Irish "stOut, d
a drink resembling beer. Three OF
them went linked arm in arm
down a narrow sidewalk, singing
and pushed a man off into the
street. They would probably have
done the same thing had they
met another sailor.
Nohhth
The Irishman got a large fol-
lowing very shortly and started in
pursuit of the gobs. These, how
ever, ignored him, and went on
with their singing until they were
completely surrounded by mob
Of the Sim Fein element. Several
of us fellows who happened to
be on Carlisle road. nicknamed
Monkey Parade" by the gobs
came to their rescue and tried to
get them away But the mob was
too thick. Women with their
hair down were screaming, some
of them taking our side. Children
crowded in, jeering
Finally the offended 1rishman
struck one of our sailors, who
knocked him down three times,
and the third time the fellow got
up running. 1t was about this time
that the stones began to fly and
one American officer who had ar
rived on the scene was struck
down. With the aid of the OIL
GERS and police we managed to
withdraw down an alley. That
night as we were leaving town a
crowd hurled stones at us, ripping
open one mans scalp. The next
day the entire camp came to Lon
donderry, but the story of how
the "Yank" COB had bested the
Irishman had spread. The mayor
of the town apologized. There was
no more trouble.
listers Were Friendly.
Tho Sipp FatpprS who have
sought aid in America were OPP
posed to our entering the war.
They were alleged to be pro-Ger-
man. The majority of London
derry and Belfast citizens are
friendly toward England and vel
coined us Americans into their
homes.
Londonderry still uses horse
drawn street cars and jaunt;ng
cars. Automobiles are few. / have
q picture of a farmer driving his
sheep through the cobble stone
streets to market. Very little coal
is used in Irish homes. They burn
turf" peat cut in the shape or
stove wood from the bogs. There
was only one store in London
derry that kept mems hose sup
porters. The majority of mer-
chants did not know what they
were. Irish newspapers never use
large headlines. Often you Will
find the most important news OF
the day inconspicuously displayed
on an inside page. All irish TOOK
upon America as second para
disc.
Fight Is Religious One.
The fight in Ireland is between
the protestant, or Church or Eng
land peoples, and the Sim Fem,
or Catholic element, The Cath
olics of Ireland are stronger IN
number and the protestants nave
fought home rule on that account.
Dublin has majority of irish
who want home rule. Belfast
and Londonderry of the Ulster
counties do not. Belfast Is the
most modern city of the islam a..
II is the chief linen manufactur-
ing center, has some modern build
ings. and, II / remember correctly,
electric street cars. The people
of the northeast of Ireland are on
the average better educated ana
more intelligent than those or the
southern section. The Ulster coun..
ties furnished a large number or
volunteers during the war, While
England found it necessary 10
quarter large bodies in the south
ern part during the war.
AS an example of the hatred
the Sim Fem holds for England,
secret meetings were held at a
church near Malin Head, where
classes were conducted in the Gaze
lie language. Only the Oldest reo-
nile of Ireland remember this
tongue. Children were being
taught to forget how to speak