Evening star., 1921-04-15
IMPARTIAL RELIEF
FOUND IN IRELAND
Quakers on Committee Are
Respected and Trusted
by All Factions.
BY WILLIAM H. BRAYDEN.


by Caoie to The Star and Chicago Daily News
Copyright. 1921.
DUBLIN. Ireland, April 15.-Consid-
cradle sums of American money are
coming to Ireland for distribution
by the White Cross Association.
formed for relief of the distress
caused by the present conflict be-
tween the crown and the republicans.
The lmpartiality of the association
mas been challenged in one or two
letters in the newspapers but care
tul examination has satisfied the
writer that its generally representa-
tive character and trustworthiness
cannot be seriously disputed.
The committee has upon it a pre-
ponderance of republicans, but they
form smaller proportion of it than
they do in the general community. 1t
contains not only Catholic bishops
but Protestant bishops, the son of a
unionist peer and prelate, as well
as many men and women who are
not politicians and whose presence
upon it is due to pure benevolence.
Prominent among these are several
Dublin Quakers. The Quakers in
Dublin, though few in numbers. are
respected and trusted by every one
Of our warning factions. Wherever
charity calls. they are the foremost
to serve it.
Not a Sinn Fein Fund.
Many of the Sim Feiners on the
committee are either in Jail or, like
Michael Collins, would be in jail If
the government could catch them.
But it is in no sense a Sim Fein
fund. The Sim Feiners always have
provided well for their own sufferers
in the fray and the dependents of
the men executed or imprisoned have |
been well looked after. This will Ger
tainly continue, so that the govern |
ment's apprehension lest the Aneri- !
can money through the White Cross |
should be used to sub
sidize the fight against the crown is
Hundreds of victims of
the fighting have had no completely |
on either side. |
Ireland has made up her mind as |
to who really devastated by fire so
many Irish towns. but it is not es-
sential to believe that the crown |
forces did it to realize that it in |
volved poverty and unemployment
for many men. women and children
Even where there have been no dew |
astations the fighting has causedl
acute distress. For instance, in Dub !
lin the curfew hours have killed to |
some extent public entertainments,
and all concerned. from musicians to |
scene shifters. have been discharged |
or put on short time. |
Will Ask Funds Here.
Ireland unaided can find only |
small part of the money needed for |
relieving the distress. The lord |
mayor of Dublin and r. A Anderson |
are going as deputation to the |
United States, as soon as the pass |
ports are ready, to make an appeal |
for the White Cross Lord Mayor |
O'Neill. though not formally a Sim |
Feiner, has distinct leanings toward |
that party. while his detachment |
from it has enabled him to be use
full as a go-between in covering many
delicate situations. His son served
in the war as an officer in the Brit
ish army. Mr.. Anderson lost two
sons in the war, and he himself fig
ured in the casualties of the Easter
week rebellion. He was one of the
corps of veterans ambusheds by the
Sim Feiners and got two bullets in
his body.
Mr.. Anderson has been the right
hand man Of Sir Horace Plunkett in
the cooperative movement. sQne of
his old colleagues in Plunkett House,
Eofie SE1pith Gordon. now director
of .EhesaSa4ipEal Land Bank, is asso-
piated with him in the White Cross
work. Smith-Gordon, who is heir
to an English baronetcy, is married
to a daughter of United States Sem
>tcr D. O.: Fletcher of Florida.