El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-11-12
IRELAND
And The Irish
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK

Z {
The Oversees cvoteboola contains 4
/ variety Of material gathered b. the editor
OF The Herald tu Europe during the wal
and after. Excerpts VIII Be published o.
Z this column daily during the next several
months Publication Of the Notes be-
gan october IS. Today's instalment con
tinues the Irish notes.
THE IRISH in ireland as you meet
them, take them as they come
are sometimes a bit careless out
they are very seldom diseourteous OF
brusque. One may encounter i'm
patience, but seldom OF the sort that
causes sparks TO fly. The Irish in Ire
land are intensely egoistic and TO them
the whole world seems to revolve
around their whims and emotions,
their likes and dislikes, their wants
and preiudices. They seem to lack
wide outlook, and live within them
selves, their clan, their province.
The Irish in Ireland in their domestic
relations are continent and faithful.
In some ways there are similarities
between the Irish and the French,
raciallv akin. but in other ways wide
differences. Women have better stand
ing in Ireland Some industrial,
economic, and spiritual conditions in
Ireland resemble those noted in
France during and after the war;
something Of the same inability, OF in
disposition. 70 help themselves and
vague dependence on some expected
outside power. Something Of the same
LONELINESS.
In Ireland there is not a single CLEAN
of a sense Of humOr In any newspaper
OF periodical; all is bitter, and sodden,
and rough The daily and weekly press
reads s0urly; it is fun Of complaint
and self pity and damnation, but has
little Of real helpfulness.
The Irish in Ireland have stil some
slight sense Of hmOr among them
selves; one sometimes observes a
twinkle in the eye, or notes a hint OF
q witty reioinder; a little old woman
in a tobacco shop VIII sometimes pass
he sass TO the gay young bloodi men
IN groups sometimes have sofuness
that is almost affectionate; there Is
zlimmer Of the whimsical Old way OF
animals as if they were
little people. But Of outward express
sion OF a sense Of humor such as one
Expects Of the Irish, and such as the
literature Of the Irish cult leads one
10 regard as Characteristic, there Is
Practically none at all. If one did not
20 through the land determined to fInd
what he wanted TO find and see what
be expected TO see, he would be apt
10 conclude that he was in a sodden
country inhabited by mostly sodden
PEOPLE. This Is not true. but one mus
70 beneath the surface TO prove it
'alse-
One looks in vain for a CHEEKY word
n thu papers. A colored comic sec
ion would be a life saver. There Is
nothing in Irish life to correspond With
he American word boost
While 7 was in the island. there was
m absurd strike Of motor drivers an
over ireland I'm protest against the
rule Of requiring a police permit or
license. The rule was not very much
more drastic than that in force in
most american cities; it required reg
stration, proof Of competency, and
had 90 be attached for
identification. The fee was nominal
The Irish protested against this new
granny Of officialism.
No private or public cars or trucks,
IT BUSES or taZis or vans, were run
ling anyWhere-not stopped BY the
lolice but stopped by the refusal Of
rivers to take out the license, stopped
IS a protest. What hauling was done
vas done in little two wheeled carts
hat would hold as much as a cracker I
OK The strikers did not stop with
aying off from work themselves; they
efused 70 permit automobile owners
o run their own cars. They held up
ars at the point Of the gun IN cities /
nd in the country, and there were /
everal sho0tings and more than one
.illing, in this effort TO stop all auto
rattle in protest against the license. I
Everybody accepted the situation,
ust as the people do in France when I
gnoraut and british officials run their
oarse bluffs The public seemed TO !
hink-m it thought at all-that It /
.ad no recourse either against the /
trike and boycott and holdups. or /
gainst the governments tyrannical I
Olice order Nobody seemed TO crack |
smile at the little bobtal carts, or
'ariouslv object 10 having all the .
7heel traffic in cities and rural dis
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