Omaha daily bee., 1922-03-05
BY FREDERICK PALMER

have preserved the written language
now have much honor, Grey hairs
make RilgTimages with youth 10 the
bookstores Tor primers and gram
mars,
"lt's strange now" said an old
man. "lhat | should wait until !
was 6S 10 learn my Own language,
III the British had gone away earlier
| might have learned IL when | was
young, | am thinking that the
British did not want me 10 have an
education, But our young ones will
learn FAST
II English Is compulsory in the
schools Of England, and French IN
the schools ei France. why not Irish
in the schools ni lfrlaHds The
dreams ai a future Ireland, with an
Irish culture. Is OF 4 people all
speaking Irish, with English 4 sees
end language, unless the British Will
consent 10 learn Gaelic as 4 second
language, which Is hardly likely in
the near future ii the house OF lords
has anything 10 say about il,
"Am ! studying 6aelieW exclaimed
200 pounds OF hfawny porter OF a
Cork hotel. Il am one OF them that
speaks Gaelic now, am as proud
OF that as that ! had three sons ~
the American army In ffanee-one
killed in the AFgenne."
At a London Hotel.
lie burst into 1 blast OF Gaelic for
my deleetation. The lili oi his
phrases made me understand how in
the land OF soft voices the people will
set store by their mother tongue.
He told a story about his Gaelic. as
only an lFishman can tell story and
enjoy the telling OF il.
When | went TO one OF the big
hotels in London" he said. II asked
in Gaelic at the desk ii they could
give me q room. They called the
clerk who spoke French and the
clerk who spoke German. and they
called waiter who spoke Italian
and one who spoke Spanish and a
Greek and a Pole from the kitchen.
| had them all around me trying me
in their languages while | kept pour
ing out Gaelic and pretending to un-
derstand never a one of them. So |
am thinking that as the Irish learn
Irish, and they travel abroad they
can have many joke on the guides
that interpret for tourists"
This was not my first visit TO Ire
land. ! had seen il in the old days
OF Redmond and Healy and again two
years ago under the reign OF terror
when the faces OF all the people were
gray and the Sim Fein leaders pro-
scribcd; and my first glimpse OF the
Ireland OF the Irish free state was in
the south - Limerick. Tipperary,
Cork, Clare and Kerry-where feel
ing was bitterest against British rule.
Cork is the home OF Mayor Nc
Sweeney, who gave his life starving
for Ireland. The ruins of some OF
its buildings are the reminders OF
savage reprisals. and other signs OF
the suffering which the people en-
dured are not wanting in the sur
rounding country.
l had always thought of the Irish
as at heart the kindest OF peoples,
generous OF impuse as they were
obliging and civil of manner. Con-
hrmation of that view is complete
after the severest of tests. Here and
there one hears of the exercise of in
dividual vengeance, but the attitude
of the people as whole is something
that sets the mind of a philosopher
to glowing, and insures that their
new found freedom will not rob the
Irish of their wit and humor which
is such precious contribution to a
dull world. | doubt if any other race
which had the same deep racial feel
ing could have shown the same tol-
Grant and orderly good nature under
similar circumstances as the Irish
have during the British evacuation.
On the postoffice walls in Cork
the posters calling for recruits for
the British army and navy remained
untouched while the postoffice was
in British hands. British soldiers
singly and in groups, though never
with Irish companions, go and come