The Catholic bulletin., 1921-11-19

American money invested in Irish
| Republic bonds is being carefully
safeguarded by the Republican Gov
| ernment and will be repaid" accord.
| ing to the Rev. Michael O'Flanagan
of ROscommon, vice-president of the
Sim Fein political organization, and
regarded as one of the most eminent
living authorities on economic, indus,
trial and educational conditions in
Ireland. Father O'F1anagan is in the
| United States to promote the second
| Dali Eireann loan which opened in
| Washington, November Is, with a
mass meeting in the Catholic Univer
sity, and which is for $2O,0OO,OO0.
| ireland considers this money as a
sacred trust declared Father O'F1an
agan. 1T will be repaid with interest
as stipulated in the bond-certificates
| given the American people,
| When asked as to the principal uses
of the money raised in the last loan
1oated in the United States, Father
lO'Flanagan declared that the biggest
| individual item, amounting to about
/ $1,000,000, had gone towards the de
| velopment of Irish agriculture
This had been done," he said, "by
the establishment of central land
Il bank in Dublin, which has branches in
Limerick, Athlone and other parts OF
/ the country. This bank has been fl
Il nanced by the Irish Republic to lend
money to cooperative societies form
ed to purchase large grass areas and
the dividing them into smaller sec
tions suitable for tillage by the young
men of Ireland
ION the steamer Centennial State
on which l travelled, twelve tons OF
Irish butter we're being brought tc
the United States. Through the sys
tenn of cooperative creameries, Ire
land has revived the butter ant
cheese making industry to such an ex
tent that she now seeks foreign mar
kets''
Much of the money subscribed il
the first loan,' declared Father O'Flan
agan, has been devoted to local gov
ernmental purposes, to education anc
to the Improvement of the provision
for taking care of the poor.
In Roscommon, for example, h,
said, there were formerly seven work
houses. Two-thirds Of the inmates O
these houses, who are somewhat abb,
to take care of themselves, have beer
pensioned and have found places tt
!, live with relatives and friends. Man,
of them are now engaged in usefu
!, occupations suitable to their healtl
J and physical condition. The remain
, der have been placed in reorganize,
county home and many of these ar
: also engaged in useful pursuits.
"A commission has been appointe,
to inquire into education. The nation
al schools hitherto have had their His
tory and Geography based on notion
that are false and antiquated Littl
or no attention is paid, for example
to the United States, and your grea
war of freedom was merely referre
to as a minor incident in English His
tory. This stupid attitude is bein
changed by the Irish Republican Mir
" lister of Education. In future, the His
: tory of the United States will get
I larger place in Irish schools than tn
I | History of England A study of tn
q American, French and Belgian Ed
cational systems is now being mad
by this commission"
: Father O'Flanagan spoke Of seein
in Connemara the massive slabs {
j Connemara marble destined for tran
port to the United States.
Our Irish Republican Industri;
: Commission has issued report whic
shows that coal mines exist in Ir
land, sufficient to furnish the Iris
nation with fuel for 200 years, an
marble quarries, that will produce til
!. finest marble for church building an
= for great public edifices''