El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-11-02

not unmannerly, but he meant what
he said. I cheerfully responded that i
didn't want TO look around the court
yard anyhow, was Just doing my duty
as a tourist
The viceroy had been shot at and
several lives had been lost in the
melee, two hours before, not far
away. on the outskirts Of Dublin, but
these two constables were only off,
GERS on guard around the Castle They
said nothing about any trouble and I
suspected none.
This is interesting as helping TO
reveal the irish people and the situa-
tion. took a long walk, OF several
hours. After p. N. returned 10 the
hotel On the street corners the eve
ming papers were on sale but ] was
tired and hungry and didn't care
enough about the news even TO buy
paper There seemed TO be nobody
else buying them, and the newsmen
and newsWomen made no special at
tempt to sell. Still no indication Of
anything unusual having happened
Yet, politically speaking, this was like
an attempt TO kill our president
After dinner I sat all evening In
the big smoking room OF the hotel,
reading. COnversinE with different
people and listening to snatches Of
conversation Not word about the
attempted assassination went 70
bed stil in ignorance.
Next morning, mailing a letter at
the hotel desk, overheard a maid
servant remark TO a bell boy, Well,
see they got one Of your friends yes
terday." That conveyed nothing to
me.
Going up in the elevator after
breakfast I saw a morning paper on
the floor and observed q modest head
line intimating that there had been an
ATTEMPTED crime the day before that
one Of the victims had been identified,
and that nobody knew much Of any
thing. Not until then did i know that
an attempt had been made on the
riceroy's life. Not once thereafter,
during my stay in Ireland, did hear
n single person ever mention the mat
ter.
AS a result OF this experience and
many others in the course Of a fort
NIGHT. I gathered that the attitude OF
the people. Of the press, and Of the
church toward the attack on lord
French was perfunctory and cynical
Some expressions in the press Of hor-
ror and censure did not ring true a
few deplored the act on the ground
that It might have an unfortunate re-
action. Some said It was a frame
up" to get Sim Fem in bad.
A strange perversion has led many
Irishmen and Irishwomen 10 condone
or excuse criminals and crime; all that
is necessary is to give the slightest
political tinge to 1t and il becomes
the act Of a saint, a hero and
martyr. Not only are Irelauds real
heroes and great characters idolized.
but the tendency is strong 10 idolize
any violent criminal and shield him
Excuses are natural. Each side
blam9s the other, and both are blame
worthy. though in what degree who
can tell2 The government policies'are
certainly not a success, and the
Spokesman for the British government
admit it.
Dublin as the seat Of the hated
government of the crown is not typi-
cal Of ireland generally 1t has many
English. and it has a large official
population which the majority q
Irishmen detest. took long walks,
visited the booksh0ps and public re-
sorts. tried TO buy a grammar and a
of the Erse language and
in every shop was told they were "au
sold out-mOre ordered" Nowhere did
7 see any disorder or anything out of
the ordinary. in three days and prac-
ticaiiy-no sign OF military occupation
or police repression. and yet 1 felt OPP
pressed and sensed the uuhappiness
and the stress and strain of the abb
normal life i'm that once proud capital
I was glad to get out Of the place and
enter Ireland
CThe Irish "Notes" viii be continued
tomorrow