Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-09-16
Capital Sidelights
BIZ VIII 2. Kennedn.


United States, feeding the war-im-
poverished nations of Europe, is not
new role for this Nation, but the spirit
to perform it truly comes up from the
people" Members of the Massachusetts,
delegation in Congress recently have re-
minded their colleagues of how a war
ship was converted into a peaceship a
century ago to carry a cargo of food
and clothing to the starving and desti-
tute people of Ireland-a free gift from
the people of America
Owing to the failure of the potato
crop in 1916, famine, pestilence and
death swept over the country now called
Fire. Tales of horror borne across
the Atlantic met with ready response
through the spontaneous sympathy of
Americans. Robert c. Winthrop OF
Massachusetts,, formerly and subse-
quently Speaker of the House and later
Senator, brought the matter to the at
tention of Congress. On Washingtons
birthday anniversary, l847. certain Bos-
ton merchants petitioned the National
Legislature to lend them warship fer
an errand of mercy to Ireland On
March g. the last day of the session,
when grave questions of finance and
war with Mexico were demanding at
tention, the people, to their everlasting
honor, through their representatives,
voted the loan of the frigate Macedonia
to Capt. George c. De Kay and of the
sloop of war jamestown to Capt. Rob-
ert Bennett Forbes. The President,
James K. Polk, and the Secretary of the
Navy, John Y. Mason. of Virginia were
authorized to send these vessels at Gov
eminent expense. or to turn them over
to the gentlemen named for the pur-
pose indicated
Five days after the passage of the
resolution Secretary Mason ordered
Commodore Parker of the Charleston
Navy Yard to remove the guns from the
jamestown and deliver her to Capt.
Forbes. On March II, St. Patricks
Day, members Of the Laborers Aid So
ciety stored one-seventh of the cargo.
The entire cargo on the United States
ship of peace" was voluntary contribu-
ton of all classes of New England cit
liens.
In IS days the jamestown was an
chored in the harbor of Cork There
she was visited by Comdr. Protheroe of
the British flagship Crocodile. under
Rear Admiral Sir Hugh Pigot, to give
assurance that everything would be
done under the admirals power to ex-
pedite delivery of the supplies. Throngs
Of famished spectators lined the shores
The Rev. Theobald Mathew, organizer
of the great temperance movement that
later swept the United States, was
master of ceremonies and introduced Of
flcials who desired to express heartfelt
gratitude He also took the American
visitors on tour of inspection so that
they personally might see the indescrib-
able horrors of disease treading on the
heels of restitution, Capt. Forbes en-
tertained on the American warship and,
in no mood for feasting after the stark
starvation he had witnessed. served
bread baked on board, washed down
with iced lemonade. Boston ginger
bread was distributed to the ladies. who
took it home to show their friends and
neighbors a miracle of Yankeeland.
The people of Cork and vicinity pre-
sented to Capt Forbes a salver of solid
silver, 20 by 30 inches. of beautiful
workmanship, with memorial address
in an ornamental frame representing
the Irish harp surmounted by the
American eagle, the Irish and American
flags, and a representation of the
Jamestown