Evening star., 1941-03-18
Irish Dine and Sinq
In Celebrating Day Of
Their Patron Saint
Sons Of St. Patrick and
Order Of Hiberniuns q
Leud Observance

@SS0 SpSStNuuSE
From the gourmands point OF
view, st. Patrick's citadel last night
was the Mayflower Hotel. where
downstairs the Friendly Sons of St.
Patrick and upstairs the Ancient
Order of Hibernians celebrated with
real fasting the day of the great
patron saint of Fire. In other parts
OF the city the occasion also was
marked with feStivity. The girls
had green flowers III their hair, and
men wore not sprigs but almost
bushes of green in their lapel but
ton holes.
Urging bravery of spirit in trou-
bled times, the Very Rev. Ignatius
Smith, o. P, dean of the school of
philosophy of Catholic University,
declared that although Ireland
went through thousand years of
torture, she refused to be con-
Quered"
He told the Friendly Sons that
nations that have been subjected
by the axis could learn from Ire
land that a country can never be
subJugated as long as its spirit lives"
Ashurst Lavish in Praise.
Another oratorical high point was
reached when former Senator Henry
Fountain AShurst of Arizona ad-
dressed the Friendly Sons after their
banquet, "biadh and deoch," as the
old ones say it. In keeping with the
paramount thought of the times,
Senator Ashurst spoke of national
liberty and the Irish contribution
to the whole philosophy of national
liberty. declaring:
Il would say nothing in this splen-
did presence that might SAVIOR of
tnvldlouS distinction Yet how may
one eulogize Pericles and not speak
of the glories of Athens? How may
one commemorate Gen. Washing
ton and be silent concerning his la
bors and his achievements? How,
then, may I speak at a banquet
OF the Society of the Friendly Sons
OF st. Patrick and omit to say that
the Irish race has nobly vindicated
the right of mankind to liberty and
has taken a conspicouS and impor-
tant part in establishing and main
talnlng the independence of the
United States?"
The Irish, Senator Ashurst re-
called, were cultured and polished
before the Romans reached Briton.
when the Druids were making sacri-
fees in Stonehenge, when the great
King Alfred was hiding in the
marshes of WeSSex. He closed:
There is mighty river in the
ocean of humanity-the Irish race
which for a century and a half has
flowed from Ireland to America, and,
just as the Gulf Stream is warmer
than the common waters of the
ocean, this river of life in the ocean
OF humanity-the Irish race-is
warmer, more loyal and more fervant
than the other waters.
Thus, while the American Gulf
Stream has ameliorated the climate
Of Ireland, the Irish race has ameli-
GRATED the blessed America by its
loyalty, its eloquence and its patri-
otism."
Hibernians Join in Songs.
The Ancient Order of Hibernians
ate in the ballroom, while the
Friendly Sons dined in the sapphire
room. They heard a speech from
Msgr. Peter Guilday, professor of
church history at Catholic Univer-
sity, and then Joined in community
singing led by James Graham, with
Elizabeth Healy at the piano. The
rest of the Hibernians' musical pro-
gram was:
Vocal selections by Agnes Dowd,
with Miss Healy accompanying; vocal
selections by Peter Slevin, accom-
panied by Mrs. Catherine Physon;
Irish dancing by Sylvester Reilly,
accompanied by Jack Hanlon on the
accordion, Patrick O'Sullivan on the
Irish bagpipes and Timothy Morley
on the violin; Mr.. Graham singing
a medley of George M. Cohen songs.
The Friendly Sons of ST. Patrick
Troubadours went up to the ballroom
Eom downstairs to entertain their
friendly rivals. Joseph A. DAILY,
chairman of the Banquet Commit
tee, presided at the Hibernians' din
ner. The other officers were Miss
Mary E. Cleary, vice chairman; Miss
Lillian E. Fay, secretary, and Felix
M. Moriarty, treasurer.
Rev. Edmund A Walsh, S. j., vice
president of Georgetown University,
pronounced the invocation at the
banquet of the Friendly Sons. NAL
colin G. Gibbs, toastmaster, toasted
the President. The benediction was
given by Rev. zeBarney T. Phillips,
chaplain of the Senate.
The celebration of the Friendly
Sons closed with a play, THE Ban
shee," by Thomas w. Brahany and
Denis E. Connell. Among those at
the head table were Right Rev. Ar
thur A. OLeary, S. j., president of
Georgetown University; Senator
ByrneS, Democrat, of South Caro-
lima; Secretary of Commerce Jones,
William S. Knudsen of the Office of
Production Management and United
States Attorney Edward M. Curran.
1kn~,e IA D.II N;.