The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-03-28
irish PRIEST
BLAMES anime
ON ITS VICTIMS
ReSentS Interference
from Outside


The attack Of sleek and comfort
able catholic priest on the work done
by the Workers international Relief
among the famIne-strIcken peasants
Of Donegal In the west Of ireland is
vigorously resented by reader Of the
Daily Herald. The Rev. E. Mcguire
resents the Intrusion Of outsiders into
what he considers his private domain.
1t does not look SO very good to
have non-catholics and indeed people
having no connection with any reli-
gious organization, feeding the hun
cry and looking after the needy peas
ants, so sadly neglected by the priests
who fleece them Of every penny they
can lay hands on.
Following Mrs. Helen Crawford's re-
port on the scenes of misery witness
ed by her in Donegal, Rev. Mcguire
sent letter to the London Daily Her
aid; protesting against her description
Of the condition Of a certain Dona-
ghey family The letter reads:
This family receive los. a week;
the children get a warm meal in
school whenever their not over-strenu-
GUS mother sends them out; and do
nations Of various kinds have been
forwarded them from time to time.
Fortunately, this is not a typical
hnY4cnhn1d am fv.oo 3v
ablebodied men, disinclined to do any
sort Of work except fishing, and so
unthrifty as never to treasure up any
part Of their earnings. Having no ex-
perience Of the lives of rats can
only point out that the dwelling, II
fairly well kept, would be most COM
Portable and salubrious.
Eve can struggle thru this mild
crisis without hysterical appeals"
It will be noted that the holy father
blamed the misery on the poor peas
ant fisherman and on the mot over
strenuous mother" of the children. But
Mr.. P. B. Marlborough, of London
has something to say to the priest in
an interview to the Herald in that
papers issue Of March 6. 1t is given
here in full:
'Must the bones of these infants
and adults protrude thru the skin.
before the hierarch and politician give
the famine workers official sanction?"
This striking question is asked by
Mr.. P. B. marlborough, who, in a
letter to the Daily Herald. makes
vigorous reply to the Rev. e. Mag
uire's statement concerning the
famine distress in Western Ireland,
published in our columns recently.
Drying Up Sympathy
"This," says Mr.. Marlborough,
who conducts from an Office in Fleet
street, London, a scheme run on CO.
operative lines for Jdisposing Of Done
gal tweeds, us a questionable at
tempt to dry up the springs of sym
pathy and good will of the Workers
International Relief. 1t is form Of
meanness identified with the well-to-
do in village life.
"Biddy Donaghey's mud-wall cabin"
he goes on, with its five infants and
four adults; with it's bare cupboard
and empty crate; cold, dark, drap,
creepy, windswept interior, compares
favourably for lowliness with the man
ger!
"This hard-working woman" con-
tinues Mr.. Marlborough, Shows an
extraordinary skill at knitting. The
men? For them there is no work
available in the summer, much less
the winter. Fishing is more Of ira
gic recreation than remunerative.
There is no cash available for re-
placements to keep their crazy little
craft worthy for fishing.
A Contrast
"These daring workers venture far
out to sea for fish, insufficient after
the share-out to make a days meals.
The petty tradesman impose on this
cash scarcity and buy salmon for as
little as Cd. per h., and sell it in Eng
land for Is TO IS. per lb.
There are hundreds of families like
the Donagheys scattered over the hills
of Donegal-that the Irish sing so
feelingly about-zand elsewhere, some
even worse off because of greater iso-
lation.
ITO decry, whether by design or
partisanship, this working class effort
of the W. ]. r., or to minimize the
tragedy of want, is" concludes Mr..
Marlborough, "senseless ferocity."