Evening star., 1943-07-12

lomatic corps or
even by an in
Henry MeLsmors. terview with Ea-
mon De Valera, the Taoiseach OF the
Irish Dali. It is . reason that Is
too close to the. common people to
have ever been brought out In a dis
cussion with the men who have
their ears to the ground for reports
from Washington, London, Berlin,
Paris and Rome.
Erie is neutral because OF peat.
Fire is not fighting because 1t has
to depend on peat for fire with
which to keep warm and cook its
food. When a nation has to start
fires with peat, it is much too busy
to do any fighting. I know because
have had to keep my hotel room
warm with peat fire and I had
to start the fire.
Starting peat fire and keeping it
going is a daylong job. Neglect
the crate for moment and you
have to start all over again because
peat, like a burned child. breads
the fire and will cool of If you so
much as turn your head.
Asbestos Coal.
Actually I shouldn't say peat"
That is the surest sign of a new
conner to Ireland. Irishmen speak
of turf. Peat Is what Is dug out
Of the ground. but after curing
process peat becomes turf and that
is what you burn-or rather what
you try to burn.
The novice is supremely confident
when he approaches the task Of
building fire with turf. The stuff
looks like coal, feels like coal and
handles like coal. So he throws in
few sticks, wads up a few news
papers, piles turf on top and puts
match to the whole thing. The
newspaper burns. The sticks burn.
But the peat-pardon, the turf
catches fire with all the abandon Of
asbestos.
had used up a months editions
Of the Irish Times and enough
sticks to equip lumberyard before
single bit Of turf caught fire. 1t
promptly went out. So, sum-
moned the housekeeper. She was
! horrified when she saw how I had
tried to start fire.
I'm the first place" she said, zone
lump of turf must be crumbled.
| In the second turf. must be ar
| ranged lengthwise on the kindling
wood. 1t must stand up and be
stacked in style that will allow
the air to work through it."
In the third place, I was using a
Monday Irish Times for kindling
when every one knew that the Tues
day and Wednesday papers are the
best.
Variety Of Odors.
So she started the fire for me.
For moment I was glad of this
service because the heat felt mighty
good. Then I regretted it because
turf fire gives off an odor that,
we'll, Chanel would not envy.
There is no accurate way to de-
scribe how a turf fire smells. One
minute it has the delicate aroma OF
a fish market and then it switches
and sprays the room with bouquet
that makes one think of a wet pup
drying in front of a stove. Then,
just when you are becoming &C
customed to the wet-pup-in-f 'front.'
of-a-stove aroma, it makes a sudden
tack and fills the room with the
fragrance of burning feathers, gar
nished with bits of rubber and cork.
And, that isn't all. Turf burns
down to powdery ash that is finer
than the finest rice powder and the
ash Is very restless. 1t does not
like being kept in crate and Graves
to wander. So. given the slightest
whisper of breeze or the tiniest
bit of draught and it hops up from
the fireplace and starts going places.
1t swirls through the room and
settles on the occupants like crumbs
on a veal outlet.
Way to Win Fire.
At the moment I am torn between
leaving the room and walking about
in what the Irish like to call a mist
but what really is a downpour, or
staying in my room and fighting 1t
out with the turf fire. It is a hard
choice to make. Pneumonia or one
of its close friends awaits me out
side. Inside must fight against
a relentless foe that squats In the
CRATE and ask no quarter and gives
none.
The chances are that will COM
promise and spend the day in the
hall walking up and down and flap
ping my arms to keep the circulation
intact.
In conclusion, I maintain that the
country which first sends Fire suffi-
cient coal to burn or a convoy OF
electric heaters will have Fire on its
side in this war. Relieved of the
burden of keeping turf fires burning,
the southern Irish would have time
to fight. And, you know the Irish
well enough to know how much they
would really enjoy a good scrap.
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