El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-11-11
IRELAND
And The Irish
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK


The Overseas Notebook" contains a
I variety OF material gathered BY the editor
/ Of The Herald IN Europe during the war
/ and after. Excerpts viii be published IN
this column daily during the next several
months, Publication Of the Notes" be-
I San October IS. Today's instalment con
Y tinues the Irish notes.
I IRELAND was generally quiet while I
/ was there. Attacks on troop bar
racks, ambushes Of police and con-
I stables, murders and arson were re-
/ ported from time TO time, but the era
I Of 9reprisalsn had not begun and 1
/ heard few charges that the representa-
tiYes Of the British government were
I initiating disorder, committing or incit-
/ ing violent crime, or framing up
against the Sim Fem element. Violence
/ against the British government in any
Z form was generally cOudoned by the peo-
pie of al classes though there was
some perfunctOry condemnation by a
I few papers and some priests ard
bishops who seemed to fear the evil
political effects of reaction more than
they disapproved the deeds themselves.
Thsir diatribes seemed TO be overdone,
vet 1t is always dangerous to ques-
tion motives for no man can enter into
another's mind.
In any event the Irish had stored up
so much hatred against the English
and the list Of grievances was already
so long and dated back so far in the
national record that anything the Irish
might do was regarded as justifiahle
and generally praiseWorthy, while any
thing the English might do called for
nothing but bitter denunciation-
The Freeman's journal, the great
separatist organ Of Dublin, had been
suppressed and the mechanical plant
partly destroyed. The editor went to
London and was then publishing daily
an entire page IN a London newspaper
which was brought to Ireland and cir
culated freely. The British press with
out regard to party generally deplored
the suppression Of the Freeman's
Journal and took a firm stand for the
freedom Of the press. Several Of the
great British dailies made a special
point Of printing quantities Of Irish
separatlst news and circulated their
pages In Dublin and elsewhere IN Ire
land.
There was even then common com
plant not only in Ireland brt even
more especially in England that the
trying to suppress the truth about
conditions in ireland. The British gov
eminent in Ireland was adversely
criticised sometimes for lack Of force,
sometimes for lack Of sense. There
was growing recognition Of the fact
that the British regime in Ireland was
a failure and that the British govern I
ment's policy would lead to no good I
results.
As TO British censorship in Ireland, 4
speaking generally, 1t seemed to be 4
very slight or exceedingly Intellectual. I
The anti-English papers printed about I
what they chose, and while some now I
and then were suppressed and their I
editors thrown IN ian, Che voice Of pro {
test was not stopped
SedItlous and revolutionary pam I
phlets in both English and Gaelic were Z
on sale openly in the bookshops of I
Dublin and in the smaller cities and /
towns. In Dublin within a couple Of I
blocks OF the heart Of the city bought /
pamphlets vigorously advocating i'm ]
mediate separation from the kingdom. I
BY violence and rebellion If necessary. !
There were on sale books and pam /
1hlets landing the Irish participants in .
the Easter uprising Of 1916 as martyrs /
and heroes, and almost canonizing
many others who had been condemned 1
Tor high treason against the croWn- /
There was nothing secret OF covert /
about the sale Of these books. they
we're displayed in front windows and 4
IN open shelves.
I have spoken about the theater
plays I saw IN Galway IN which the
police and eonstabulary were held up
% worse than ridicule, to contempt and I
gnomlny. / saw posters and wall IN
icriptions in various parts Of Ireland
advocating revolutionary action.
Soldiers police, and coustabulsrv I
we're nowhere very much in evidence /
rather fewer to be seen on the whole 4
han in most American cities. 7 was 4
old however that many Of the British
agents wear no distinguishing uni
.orm-
There were said to be over 100000 I
British troops In ireland. They were I
sveu then being withdrawn from small
md isolated garrisons and concen- T
rated IN larger centers, for assaults 4
nd burninEs were too frequent and (
ne government did not seem TO know I
low to cope with the continual guer-
lila warfare.
Civilians were being tried BY mar I
.ial law for insulting policemen. In
me town I saw soldiers escort two Il
prisoners to lail; there were six or d