The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-01

AS WE SEE 1T
BY T. J. o'FLAHERTY.

PROFESSOR TIMOTHY A. SMID-
DY, is the Irish Free State min.
lister plenipotentiary at Washington.
What he does besides drawing his
salary, don't know. The British am.
bassador takes care Of Ireland, 1t be-
Ing one OF John Bulls other islands.
The Irish, like most people, like to be
tickled around the gills with feath.
er, and England having goaded them
into q state Of chronic obstreperous-
ness, finally decided to present them
with Lanbse IN the shape Of the
Irish Fre4 ssasA Ihe next thing was
TO allow them to send "plenipoten-
iary" to Washington.
II anybody thinks Ireland is satisfied
l with few concessions, that some.
body is greatly mistaken. Politically
speaking, Ireland is as temperamental
as Gamma Walska. The British gov
eminent is about as popular in the
Emerald Isle as a prohibition agent
back O. the yards" in Chicago. When
the Prince Of Wales announced re
Gently that he would like to honor Ire
land with his presence, the happy pon-
ulace began to shine up its artillery
and foxes, hares aud rabbits grew SO
bold that they jostied the people off
the city sidewalks. Their natural en-
emies were waiting for the prince.
David P. changed his mind.
THE king of England would be as
l safe in that part Of his dominions
as catholic missionary in the pal
ace of the imperial wizard Of the ku
klux khan. The Irish took all the
titles and are hungry for more. But
to get back to Smiddy. This country
has spoiled good many Irishmen and
Smiddy is now on the casualty list.
There is an organization in existence
known as the George Washington
Sulgrave institution. Its object is to
clear up the air relative to the little
unpleasantness between the colonies
and the mother country in 1875 and
since. and to prove that Britain freed
the United States from German tyr.
amy, because prithee, was not the
commander of the American armies
of English descent. and the then King
George a German?
THIS movement is very popular on
4 Long Island, New York, on Bea-
con Hill, Boston and in Picaddilly
London, but the people on the banks
Of the Liffey and the Shannon are not
enthusiastic about it. Professor Smid
dy, having existed in this country for
some time, knew no better than to &C
cept an invitation to be guest of hon.
or of the Sulgrave institute. AS soon
as the news reached Dublin, Smiddy
was advised that he had better go to
q one arm lunch, instead. That's how
the situation stands at present.
n long as Ireland is under the ham,
~ mer, we might as well devote the
rest of this column TO it. The trade
union movement has gone thru a very
severe crisis within the past two
years. From 1915 to 1921 the member
ship of the Irish Transport and Gener.
al Workers increased from few thou.
Iand to over one hundred thousand
Because of favorable economic condi.
tons it was able to secure some
wage increases and owing to the CLAM.
or lent to its name by James Connol.
~, the leader of the Easter week rev.
olution. It was looked upon as a revo.
lutionary organization. In fact its Of
fetal organ, the Voice of Labor talk.
ed glibly of the forming of Soviets
and the organization of Red guards.
II FTER the war there was revolu-
IN tionary sentiment thruout the
ranks OF the organization and in sew.
eral places the workers seized factor.
les and hoisted the red flag. These
incidents were frowned upon from
headquarters. But some time prior to
the advent OF the British labor party
to Office, wave Of industrial depres.
sion hit Ireland and the bosses opened
an offensive against the Transport
IUnion. Severe losses in membership
and wage cuts resulted.
kTHERE was considerable left wing
| sentiment in the Transport Union
hut IL had no leadership The Comnuu