The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-07-09

Edward J. Ryan or IhomaSton, outstanding speaker for the America First Committee, takes exception to- day to q statement issued by thc Defend AmeIisG committee, Mir Ryan charges that the author ol the statement, Elizabeth Curtis went out of her way to be tncom- plimentary to the Irish race in a public profession of her love for Eneland and the principles she sup posedly champions in the present war.
 Mir Ryan's statement follows in part
 "At long last the Committee to Defend America by aiding the AL lies stands revealed in its true light of malice, hatred and bigotry. tt stands revealed for all to see as an organl2ation which fosters and spreads disunity, fear suspicion and tripe. I base this charge on the statement which was issued by this committee through its executive vice chairman. Elizabeth Curtis and which appeared in last evening s edition of The Democrat"
 "The attack against the. Irish and persons of Irish extraction is totally un- American, unwarranted and in- intolerable. Such m attack usually cmanates from an Intense hatred Of one group against another, such Gs we might expect to find in Ger many, Q country which has repu- taton for its pereecutions,'
 Let me ask the spokesman for the Committee Go Defend America by Aiding the Allies If she has e single drop of American blood to spill f America goes into the pres ent war?
 Let mo ask the committees spokesman If her first love and consideration is for the United States or is 1t for the British en- phe?
 "The statement issued by this war group reaches a new low, even for this organization which makes a practice of smearing everyone whc does not agree With their war aims
 "The organization In It's statement asks for national unity and in the next breath it ossails a race ol people, thus pitting one race agains another Exactly the same methoc Is now being employed by the loca | chapter of the Committee to De. fcnd America by aiding the Allie, as has been used in the past by tho infamous Ku KluX Klan.
 Hard to believe that In this daN when all organized groups art pleading for national unity in thi! present world crisis, an organization should single out one race of people to level one of the most ungroundeI attacks against that 1t has eve been my misfortune to read Bu there Is the statement in black anl white for everyone to read
 Let me ask the Committee to De, fend America hy Aiding the Allie ! where the sons of their member are today. Are they in the arme; ] forces of the United States govern i men? How many of these mem Eers have sons who are now mem bers of Uncle Sam's army? No one, I suppose
 "Lat us lcok at the long, long, lis of Irish American boys who havD left this city to serve their coun try That should speak for itself
 "Yet this war committee has tn, aUdacity to rebuke the Irish arC | persons of Irish extraction?
 Certainly, so far as right think l ing Americans are concerned, las evenings attack against the Irish i bound 10 do much more harm tt the war campaign of the Committee to Defend America by Aiding thu Allies than anything I can say oI Go. Thus I allow the matter to res with these right thinking American in this section. What do the, think?
 Certainly the Irish GO not neet me 10 justify their reputations, tn, loyalty or their characters.
 My dear Lady Curtis, never il Irish history can you show wheri the Irish race was a cowardly race For over 700 years they fough against slavery, tyranny and fo their own freedom. That race 0 people faced starvation because o British blcekades. They faced deatl at inc hands Of the Black and Fans Mothers saw their unarmed son killed before their very eyes. Moth CTS by the thousansd have been kill ed, and this did not 50 on for one two or three years, 1t went on fc centuries.
 DO you wonder then why th Irish make sueh fire loyal citizen of ihls country? Bceause they ap pgeslate tire freedom, the happincs