The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-08-28
WOMEN TIE UP
BRITISH LINERS.
Irish Girls in New York In
duce LOngshOremen to
Quit on Eight Ships.
FIGHT rs FOR MACSWENEY
Tremendous Enthusiasm at
Mass Meeting Addressed by
the Irish President

The young Irish girls who have been
picketing the British Consulate since
last Monday, marching along the
waterfront on West street yester-
day afternoon carrying banners
protesting against the imprison-
ment of the Lord Mayor OF
Cork and the detention of Arch
bishop Mannix by the British Gov
ernment, started what was probably
the first purely political strike OF
workmen In the history OF the United
States. Almost 200 oilers stokers and
engineers from the White Star liner
Baltic deserted their posts and swung
into line behind the young women, and
after them came hundreds Of long
shoremen who had been loading Brit
ish ships on half dozen piers.
The parade and the impromptu
strike grew in enthusiasm and num-
bers and eliminated last night in
tremendous burst OF enthusiasm and
wild Irish patriotism in a mass meet
Fifty first street and Lexington ave-
nue. called to protest against the Lord
Mayors imprisonment At this meet
ing Frank p. Walsh, chairman Of the
American Commission on Irish Inde-
pendence, declared that 1000 long
shoremen already had gone out on
strike in behalf of the Irish cause, be-
nj A hn Ill NJ no
British ship Baltic, and that 5000 more
would leave their posts to-day. Vari-
Gus speakers aroused tremendous en-
thusiasm by shouting that the strikers
never would go back to work until the
British Government freed Lord Mayor
MacSweney and permitted Archbishop
Mannix to land In Ireland.
Irish S'PresIdent" Speaks.
The mass meeting, with about four
thousand Irish men and women crowd
ing the theatre, was one Of the widest
and most enthusiastic the Irish ever
have held in New York. Every five or
ten minutes the audience was brought
to its feet by some vivid denunciation
Of Great Britain. The crowd cheered
for ten minutes or longer when sixteen
of the strikers from the Baltic marched
into the hall with James Lynch. business
agent Of the Marine Firemen's Union.
Later the others came to the theatre,
and then came delegation Of the strlk-
ing longshoremen, each being greeted
with a tremendous burst OF cheering.
Besides Mr.. Walsh speeches were made
by Eamonn De Valera, President Of the
Irish Republic" and Dudley Field Ma
lone.
As a result Of the strike, which union
officials called "a tempest in a tea pot"
1t is probable that only two Of the
eight transatlantic vessels will be able
to clear port to-day. These two-the
Aquitania Of the Cunard Line and the
White Star liner olymplc-will be able
to leave mainly because they were
sealed before the agitators appeared,
and the only problem confronting the
steamship officials Is that Of handling
the passengers baggage. This, 1t was
said, would be cared for by the clerical
force of the two steamship companies.
Call Halt on "Butchery."
The strike came without warning to
the officers of the International Long
shoremen's Association were out Of town,
and while the walking delegates all de-
clared the strike an outlaw one, many
Of them manifested sympathy with the
aims of the strikers. One union dele
gate averred all the men will be back at
work this morning. He said q good
nights sleep will cause them to forget
all about Ireland.
When the longshoremen left the piers
for their luncheon at noon they were
confronted by a little group Of plainly
clad women marching up and down the
sidewalk in the east side Of Eleventh
avenue between Fourteenth and Twenty
third streets. All Of them carried
one carried by, the leader read: Long
shoremen, England Is numbering Mac
Sweeney while you unload British ships"
Another declared: 'Longshoremenl
Stokersl Seamen British body snatch
ers are carrying of by force dying and
unconscious patriots to British gaols.
US to stop this butchery?"
Toward the end of the column walked
a little gray haired woman who kept
hurting epithets at the British Govern
ment as abe marched. Her banner
stated that the following telegram had
been sent to Premier Lloyd George:
"The sound of death In the throat of
Terence MacSweney is the death knell
of your adventure IN ireland. We hear
the bell tolllng. The people are gather
ing. on your tanks, polish up your
guns"
THE hack of the placard said:
iLongshoremen Gallant Ireland
needs your help. The people are gath
erinE. Fall in line. When Mannix goes
to ireland let the Baltic leave Flew
York"