San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-14
WOMEN
HERE TOPLEAD,
ER|N'S CAUSE
Are Raising Money in
Struggle for Inde-
pendence.
SPEAK AT GUNTER
We Celebrate Thanksgiv-
ing Day in Memory Of
Irish Relief Ship.
SPEAK AT GUNTER

An effort TO convert those who are
not at present in sympathy with the
people of ireland, fighting for their in
dependence, will be made. by Misses
Mary Kearns and Kathleen Boland,
representatives of the Irish Women's
Mission, in talks at the Gunter Hotel
Saturday night at S o'clock.
They have been on tour of the
United States sipce November. and
since that time have raised 100000
for Ireland.
Stories of the suffering that the
Republican soldiers and their families
undergo in English prisons, the pri-
vations that they are forced to endure
in order to keep up the struggle for
independence, the stories Of the ex-
ecutions Of men and woman will be
told at the meeting Saturday even
ing.
Only recently so Republicans have
been executed by the English accord
ing to Miss Kearns, six having been
shot Friday. Miss Kearns stated that
$4,000 men and 1000 women were in
the English prisons.
Escaped From Prison.
"You have no idea of the condi-
tons of the prisons in England" she
said. "Why. the American prisons
are as a palace compared TO them"
Miss Kearns was arrested by the
English troops and taken TO Jail in
England. She was sentenced TO be
executed but her execution was
stayed. She was sentenced TO serve
ten years but after twelve months
Imprisonment she made her escape.
This was in November, 1921.
Then, shortly afterward, the treaty
was signed and her freedom was legal.
She also spoke of two young Irish
girls. convicted Of treason by the
English. who she declared are TO be
executed soon.
Miss Kearns and Miss Boland are
both forceful speakers.
THE reason that we Irish are ap-
pealing to the Americans for help is
that our case is so much like theirs.
In fact, we are fighting for the same
principles exactly as your American
forefathers fought for.
England offered America a treaty
with concessions but that was not
what America wanted. They wanted
their own country and wanted to be
left alone TO manage it. That is just
what we want. We want our country.
Sees Irish Statues.
There is no country good enough
or strong enough to rule another
country when it is not the will of the
governed people to be governed.
Just the same way that America
gained her independence, JUS in that
same manner will Ireland become
free. We are not particular as to
what our government will be called,
whether it will be republic or just
what. the first thing to do is TO get
our country and then decide on what
form Of government we will have.
Miss Kearns then described what
she had seen during her tour of Amer
lea. declaring that great number Of
the statues, erected TO the memory
Of great men who died in the struggle
for Independence in the eighteenth
century, bore the names of men, either
of Irish birth or of Irish descent.
History Is Amended.
Perhaps you Americans are not
aware Of it," she continued. but the
Thanksgiving Day that you Ameri-
cans celebrate was originated upon the
arrival of an Irish ship in the Boston
barbor. during the Revolutionary War.
The wives. mothers and daughters of
the American troops, as well as the
troops themselves, were suffering from
want of clothes, food and other sup
plies. Washington was near defeat
and it looked as il the cause was
about to be lost.
'Then came the Irish ship. bringing
food. clothing and'supplies and a great
deal Of money. This was the begin
ming of the American Thanksgiving
Day"
However. a review Of American his
tory as every scbol boy knows states
that Thanksgiving Day was originated
long before the Revolutionary War.
Histories say il was originated about
12S years after the discovery Of
America by Columbus. This has been
the conception of the American public.
Following is passage from Nelson's
encyclopedia
"The festival is in its essence a
harvest thanksgiving. and perhaps
owes its origin to the Pilgrim Fathers,
as Governor Bradford first set apart
day in America for that purpose at
Plymouth, in 1921"
In Street Fight
Misses Kearns and Boland arrived
in San Antonio early Saturday morn
ing and are guests at the Gunter Ho-
tel. Miss Boland was member Of
the Cumann-na-Ban dSring the clash
with the Black and Tans. and rendered
n great deal of service to the Re
publican army. She took part in the
uprising of 1916 and in the defense of
the Republicans against the British
troops in Dublin in June and July,
1922.
Miss Kearns had charge of Red
Cross hospital in the general post
office in O'C6hpell street. She was be-
side O'Rahilly when he was killed in
the street. A short time after. she
joined the Republican forces and from
then on endured many hardships, go
ing to prison. escaping, being forced to
hide out as fugitive until the sign
ing of the treaty, and then coming
TO America in an effort 10 solicit the