Omaha daily bee., 1922-03-05

without ever being the objects OF
tauhts or even unpleasant staFes,
This after the most vicious and re-
lsHtless guerilla warfare In which al
vas taiFi after ancient gfudges stalk
ed In the night 10 kill an enemy by
any Tuse OF stFaiagsnfi and the army
OF Paelnsatlah replying in kind, sN-
cess fed excess.
They ohsyed Orders
There were 10000 British soldiers
IN Ireland" as one capable Irish
man expressed the feeling OF the
Irish, They are going home. They
obeyed orders. As for the auSiii-
aries, the black and tans-we'll never
forget them, but they too afe po-
ing home. We want 10 show that
We arc an orderly people-disoFdeFly
only when we are fighting alien rule
by a population II times our mum.
brFs."
On a 1ippeFarY highway our eaf
came 10 a former British camp. II
was surrounded by meshes oil harhed
wire. in a state OF semi-siege in the
feealeitFant land which that garrison
had tried 10 police. A British sentry
stopped Us, said "ail right" and
We passed OH, lie was doing this as
4 matter OF understanding between
the outgoing and incoming authority
"A part OF the business OF amiable
transfer from a formed organization
10 an organization in the forming
II the request OF the rulers who were
former rebels aud had not yet estab-
lished their own police control. Many
OF the barracks az that camp were al.
ready empty. In another, men in
khaki were putting their belongings
OIL a motor truck. An Irish farmer
was earting away a section OF camp
house that he had bought.
Glad 10 gos / should say we
were" exclaimed a British officer as
he checked his baggage at Limerick
Junction. This was not soldiers
work. Ii was nightmare. Those
people want TO rule themselves. Why
shouldn't they? They're acting very
decently, must say. Heigh-hol At
last, am OH TO BHgnty.
The amiable banter Of an Irish
priest in talking with the Englishmen
in my compartment on train might
indicate that they had been chums
at school.
1--WE shall make grand country
when you fellows are out" he said.
Were getting you out as happily
and as comfortably as we can, aren't
we? You will come and see us again
but leaving your guns behind
come as tourists TO enjoy our Irish
free state"
Then TO me: Garlic. ! know it.
I have little joke sometimes with
those who pretend they know it
when | start a conversation with
them" Then seriously: "It's up to
us Irish now, as you Americans say.
We shall have our problem to solve,
our politicians and trouble-makers.
like other nations. But the biggest
problem has been in encouraging
these English to go and leave our
troubles to ourselves, instead of our
making the English trouble"
There is something in the smile
on all the Irish faces, in the light in
Irish eyes worth coming from Amer
ica to sec. 1t is happiness, sheer
nationalistic- happiness; the happi-
ness, glowing out of great depths,
over a dream come true after hun
drcds of years OF waiting and striv-
ing. 1t is enough for the men and
women in the streets of the towns
and in cottage doorways from Ban
try Bay to Donegal that the British
are going. People who live far away
in the back country, and who doubt
if it really can be true, journey to
the railroad stations to watch the
passing OF the ancient enemy, and
meanwhile bear themselves in a way
that amounts to a fine dignity--a
finer dignity than some of the other
peoples who have recently achieved
nationhood have shown.
They look forward to their own
free state stamps, coinage and other
symbols of their freedom. And if
the British should try to come back,
Wind IN