The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1920-12-06
MRS. MAC SWTNEY
COMES TO U. 5.
Former Lord Mayor S
Widow@Arrives in
New York
By WILL JOHNSON

BY WILL JOHNSON
| NEW YORK, Dec. 6.-Mrs. Muir.
iel MacSwiney, young, petite anG
comely widow of Terence MacSwiney
Lord Mayor of Cork, who starved
himself to death in Brixton prison
London, in protest against British
rule in Ireland, so declared herself
this evening at the Saint Regis Ho-
tel, where she is resting preparatory
to her testimony before the commit
tee investigating Irish affairs in
Washington on Wednesday. e"'
Mrs, MacSwiney had come to the
interview all smiles, engaging smiles
par excellence. She is small woman
possesses the feminine prettiness for
which Ireland is famous and puts
one at ease instantly. She talks with
a pretty Irish turn of voice and is
monosyllabic, except when speaking
of conditions in Ireland.
She has been asked why England
persisted today in the face of Irish
determinati for independence, in
maintaining tenacious hold on the
Erin Isle, and with quick decisive
ness, pronounced England a thief" :"
1T will all end" she added mo-
ment later, when Ireland has her
freedom, complete freedom and not
autonomy. IA free Ireland will be
the best thing for England. Y Then
England will be able to be friends
and not until then.
'The Irish people, am convinced,
have not sanctioned any peace
maneuvers with the British govern
ment. l do not believe there is a
word of truth in the newspaper re-
ports of peace being near, as know
the Irish people will not compro-
mise"
Mrs, MacSwiney spent two nights
in Cork en- route to the United States
from London where she had conval-
esced from the illness which attacked
her Immediately after her husbands
death, The terrorism in the city, she
said, was so great that she did not
venture forth and on one night
group of black and tans exploded
a bomb in the street adjoining her
stopping place, the explosion killing
four persons and injuring many
others. lEHis
Mrs. MacSwiney explained that her
small amount of activity in the Irish
Republican movement had been due
to her domestic cares. Her family, it
was explained, had not been sympa-
thetic with the Irish Republic move
ment and her first interest in the
matter was taken when she met Ter
ence MacSwiney at the home Of a
mutual friend, a Father Murphy.
n She was convinced, however, that
the recent events in Ireland had con-
vinced the other members of her
family of the justice of the cause
for which her husband fought and
gave his life. '.5#
The widow, who prefers Gaelic to
England and who uses 1t exclusively
when at home, has educated her
small son to speak in Gaelic. But she
confessed this evening that she had
fears the child would learn some En-
glish while she is absent in the Unit
ed States. The child has been left
with her mother.
From Miss Mary MacSwiney, sister
Of the late lord mayor, something
was learned of the former Muriel
Murphy's romance with Terence
MacSwiney. a8sfsty X.
She met him during the early part
Of his stormy political career. after
he had turned from mercantile busi-
ness and literature to politics. The
courtship, in fact, was Q matter OF
jails. MacSwiney's free time was on
ly intermittent and petite Murtel
Murphy saw him but seldom.
However, they were married at
Bromyard, England, where he had
been deported and placed under or
ders of not leaving an area within a
ten mile radius. There was no charge
against him. The ceremony was per-
formed in Gaelic and the marriage
was the first catholic ceremony Of Its
kind to be performed In the village
since the reformation. sgs.s,
Mrs. MacSwiney and Miss Mac
Swiney will leave for Washington on
Tuesday morning and will relate
their personal experiences on We'd
nesday. They have no set program
beyond that but are under the orders
Of Eamonn de Valera, president Of
the Irish Republic, who is Ill at the
Waldorf Hotel. The Illness is not SER
ious but is sufficient to canse some
among his friends. r3.5