The Washington times., 1922-09-16
BY HAYDEN TALBOT.
Copyright. 1sas, New York American
CHAPTER 12-SectiOn 2.

| CHAPTER IZ-SecCOn :.
1t was a result of my Ineffective
interview with Erskine Childers
that l persuaded Michael Collins to
do what was necessary to obtain
all the facts of the gun-running at
Howth. And eventually he ar
| ranged the three -cornered confer
ence with Sean MacGarry-the one
man left alive in Ireland today who
was closest In the condolences OF
the Easter Week leaders. At Col
Inns bidding MacGarry told the
following tale:
I'm the summer OF 1914 there
was an army of $4,000 men up In
Ulster-led. armed and drilled by
Carson-and pledged to resist by
force the enactment of Home Rule.
This was all unlawful-this open
defiance of the laws of the English
fessed the limit of loyalty. But the
English government let this an
nouncement of rebellion to pass un-
needed. They had let those troops
prepare for war for two years-and
done nothing at all to stop 1t.
Gun-Running Begins.
I'VE in the South looked on dur
ing these two years, and then we
reached the conclusion that what
Ulster could dove could do. We
were not altogether unmindful OF
the fact that we outnumbered the
Carsonites by about four to one!
So we made UP our minds to arm
and drill on our own account-NOT
TO ATTACK ULSTER-but to be
able to face the English govern
ment with the only argument she
ever has understood! And then
what happened? Within a month
the government which for two
years had allowed the Carsonites
to get in all the arms they wanted
issued an order prohibiting the i'm.
| portation OF anv arms or ammuni-
ton into Ireland!
| Naturally we both started gun.
running. Ulster had had two years
start, but she still wanted more arms
and ammunition-and she got them.
Perhaps the Fanny will be remem-
bered by some the yacht that
steamed right through watching
British warships and landed her
cargo of guns at Larne-after the
newspapers had told OF her coming
for two weeks previous ! The Fanny
| III "thl u'-Ntl q
word from the gunboat patrols.
Larne. 1t may be necessary to state.
Is in Ulster!
Meantime. the gunboat patrols
off Dublin and Wicklow. as veil as
the western coast. had nothing the
matter with their eyesight. We
krew the difference, never fear.
But II had nothing to do with the
fact that we had to have arms.
OFF to HOwth.
1T was July 26. 1914-when every.
body was talking about Austria's ul-
timatum to Serbia-that we managed
to unload 1000 rifles and a goodly
supply Of ammunition at Howth. A
route.march had been called for that
day lit was q Sunday and about 200
Of the Dublin Volunteers took part in
1t. Perhaps a dozen of us, all told.
knew what was the real purpose Of
that nine-mile route.march.
Word came to me the day before
to get boat and go out in the bay
to meet Childer's yacht. So on that
Saturday afternoon l went over TO
Howth with two others. and tried TO
bargain with boatmen for a launch.
Eut there was a storm, and 1evsr q
boat could we get.
Finally we persuaded one old fel.
low to take us out and have a run
around the harbor-to see II 1t was
as rough as It looked! He was on
the point OF casting off the lines
when, unfortunately, he caught sight
OF a revolver sticking out of one Of
cur pockets! That was enough FOR
him! We hadn't been too convinc.
ing in our explanations for wanting
10 make the trip anyhow-and when
he guessed the truth that we intend.
cd to keep him out in the bay. once
we got him away from shore, he
quickly put his engine out Of COM
mission. He wasn't wanting to be a
hero in the least.
"On we went to Dunloacharie, and
again met with no success. Not a
boatman would go outside in the
storm, and not one of them would
kcar of us going alone. Up in Bray,
however, Willie Cullen managed TO
get a boat-an open motorboat-
no II was who finally picked us up
the following day at Howth, after n
wild night out by himself in Dublin
bay.
80 far as I know Willie Cullen's
name has never even been men,
toned in connection with the gun
running. but 1t is my opinion his
bravery ought to be made known.
Without him and the boat I don't
know what would have happened.
! English Girl Steers!
"Well, we met the Childers' yacht
all right, and, to our surprise, we
found a woman steering It! The
woman turned out to be Mary
Spring Rice-daughter of the then
English ambassador in Washing,
tonp'
(Authentic records of the HoWth
gun-running e1ploit have estab-
J ished that there Wds a Woman
aboard Childers' yacht, and that
she was at the Wheel When IL came
alongside the pier at HoiDth, but
until now her identity has re-
mdined unknown.)
I'VE showed the way in to the
pier in our motorboat, after assuring
Childers that the English patrol l'oat