Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press., 1922-11-09
PRESTON COLLINS
SEES IRELAND AND
TELLS ABOUT 1T

New York, N. Y,
Oct, 28, 1922
Dear Mr. Gclders:-
| have just completed the most in
teresting trip | have yet made, hav-
ing just returned from a trip to
! ireland and Scotland. 1t is not a very
common occurrence to get trip to
Ireland, especially at the present time,
but as luck would have it | managed
to make the trip.
1t would be very hard to describe
conditions in Ireland, for conditions
! are diberent in all parts of the country.
Things were much worse in the Irish
Free State than the papers publish.
After being in the Free State, I cannot
see how it will be possible for it to
live.
For the Free State is backed by
England, financed by English money,
their uniforms and arms and ammu-
milton are furnished by the English
And as everyone knows hating the
fngllshman is almost religion with
the true lrishman or native of what
now Composes the Irish Free State
However what is intensely worse
than the English influence, is the fact
the Irish Free State Army is almost
entirely composed of ex-I. R. A. men,
who have joined to escape punishment.
Then the other portion of the Free
State Army is composed of young
boys between the ages of sixteen and
twenty years, and you might say that
they had never seen a rifle before. 1t
is almost impossible for them to drill
or train this green army for as soon
as any great number gather together,
they are attacked by Republicans.
Their only refuge being the armored
car and their barracks.
The present feeling in Ireland is they
are willing to accept anything which
will bring real peace. However it can
be seen that the people, are beginning
to see that the Free State is dominated
by England and are being made very
unrestful by the Republicans.
| am sending you Cork paper so
you can see for yourself just how bad
| things are.
Dublin is probably hurt more than
any other city. Every Government
building has been RACED to the ground,
among which are the famous Four
Courts, the Customs House and the
General Post Ocice. The Dali has to
hold its meetings in sma'l hotel
called the Council House. - rf 'ho
principal hotels, as we'll as =, &c
ness part of town has been dee -eva :
1t makes one mad at the Irish to stand
and look at this wholesale destruction
of property.
As you probably know, Ireland is
divided into two governments, the
Free State and the Ulster Government
1t would be thought that the farther
north one went the quieter it should
be. but such is not the case for in Bel
fast 1t is the Orangemen (Protestants
who are at odds with the Catholics
the Orangemen being the aggrcssors
However | did find one peaceful city
in Ireland, which was Londonderry
1t is here the Republicans live or
one side of the river, the English or
the other and Orangemcn and Cath.
olcs mix without any bloodshed what.
ever.
While we were laving in Glasgow
and Greenock, Scotland, the trouble
between England and Turkey was al
its height. ] wonder if it is known how
close the world came to being plunged
into another war England actually
sent out mobilization orders and call
ed in the reserves and gave them two
weeks drill.
We had hard trip back across tn,
Western Ocean. Out OF the nineteer
days II took us from Greenock tc
New York, We had four days gooc
weather.
We came into New York with star
board side of the bridge washed ava,
and with only one lifeboat left. Th,
decks were Uttered with debris. ven
tilators, davits. xhains, rails and RIG
gings having all gone by the board
Temperature was as low as % at ont
time.
Hoping YOU will see some goot
things in this,
am,
Sincerely Yours
Preston Collins
s s. WeStDOrt