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Vol. Il, No. 10
Labor Donate:
Helen
Landreth Atttacks
Author of Irish Best-Seller Hits
Harsh Treatment of Prisoners
author of
and well
ELEN LANDRETHI,
H Dear Dark Head,
known in literary
delivered the following clear,
State
circles in
America,
indictment of the ‘‘Free’’
meeting ir
calm
Government in a
Dublin last year. Because her
more apt to be taken in some quarters
than ours, for instance, we present her
ice her oration,
publie
word is
speech in its entirety. S
the coercion laws of which she spoke
have increased in number and severity.
It is forbidden now in the ‘Free State’’
to hold any sort of publie meeting for
any purpose unless approved by the
“‘Government’’. Men have been hanged,
starved and shot in Ireland since this
speech was delivered in Dublin. What
might this far-seeing Authoress have-to
say NOW if her lips were not sealed
by the dictatorial censorship of the
“Free’? State? The following is her
speech, delivered from the platform
with Mrs, Cathal Brugha.
“When I came to Ireland, I did not
intend to take any part in polities, I
thought it was not the part for an out-
to take. And in matters of mere
interest, of partisan polities, 1
should never have changed my mind.
“But the introduction of the new
Coercion Bills into the Dail have chang-
ed matters. They are not matters of
party politics only, these bills. They
are above party politics. They involve
a principle, and are a matter of right
and wrong, They are an indication that
England is governing Ireland by re-
mote control. There is the strong pos-
sibility that these bills would be used
sider
party
against any Irish nationalists who, in
the event that England was engaged in
war, would use England’s difficulty as
Treland’s opportunity to sever the con-
nection with England. (Miss Landreth
has been proved right by the imprison-
ments and murders done since under
these laws by the ‘‘Free State — Ed.)
“My whole devotion to Ireland rests
on the fact that, no matter how much
she suffered, how much she was opp
sed, how tempting and insidious were
the inducements used to force her peo-
ple, collectively and individually, to
surrender, there were always those in
Ireland who still saw that England had
no right to rule Ireland, or to own Ire-
land. It is this tradition of undefeat
that is the foundation of my devotion
to Ireland. I fell in love with Ireland’s
loyalty to a principle, and that princi-
free and independent Ireland.
ple :
—_
22nd Month of the War
re
“Tf any in Ireland beside the
one now in power had proposed Coer-
Bills I would have been against
and for one reason only, the same
protest against
party
cion
them,
one which makes me
the bills brought in by the party now
in power, It is not right for Irish men
and women to be murdered and im-
prisoned to help and comfort and se-
cure the British Empire.
“The men Leinster
IIlouse may not be swayed in their vot-
who meet in
ing by principles of right and wrong:
I warn them it is not safe for them to
pass these bills.
“General Maxwell in 1916 thought
he could end the Easter Rising by ex-
ecuting the leaders. He found that the
execution of any person for a princi-
ple only strengthened that principle, He
found that martyrs’ blood is fiery red.
It does not quench a nation’s spirit, it
inflames it. The first Irishman who dies
a martyr to the Treason Bill of 1939
takes his place with Pearse and Mac-
Donagh and Plunkett and Connolly
and Rory O’Connor and Liam Mellowes
and Cathal Brugha, and I envy him
his death,
“The persons who lose their liberty
for ‘Offenses against the State’ will
liberate the whole spirit of the Trish
people, In 1798, Unde:
of Dublin Castle, wrote to his superior,
Mr. Wickham, in London: ‘The spirit
of the people rises with oppre
Mr. Cooke’s successor can now write to
his chief in London and use the identi-
‘The spirit of the people
rises with oppression’.
Secretary Cooke
sion’.
cal wor
“The government should not under-
estimate the importance oi this meet-
ing. They may be deceived by the fact
that they had more people at th.!r po-
litical rallies last summer. Bui unis is
one of the times when numbers do not
count. Ireland has always bred her
precious few who know that freedom
is a holy thing, and who have been glad
to give their lives in the struggle to
maintain it. They cherished in
their hearts the seeds of fire, and from
small buds of flame have blossomed
mighty things. Against them the laws
of empires are of no avail, and the
of great nations cannot over-
come them, for when they gird them-
selves for combat they triumph even
in defeat
have
armies
“T warn the government of the
wrong of these bills. As an outsider I
protest against them.”
OCTOBER, 1940
‘Free’ State
$1.00 per year
Dictatorship
McGarrity!
IN MEMORIAM
Joseph P. McGarrity
1874 — 1940
Dynamic and intense!
He lent no aid to those who would appease
A wrong through superficial harmonies;
Nor had he time for those who would dispense
With Easter Week! Accept as recompense
The promise of an England on her knees,
Who promised much to Nationalities,
When promises had value as defense
Leader and friend! Why should Death strike so soon
And take away our one and greatest, Ace?
Why should the sun of Hope go down at noon
And leave men weeping in this darkened place? .
Writ deep and burned in, the name of Joe
Through Time’s eternal corridors will glow!
— Padraic Lagan
NEW BRITISH COMMANDER IN IRELAND
General Sir IL R.
appointed te
LONDON.—Lt.
Pownall has just
command the British troops in Ireland.
The War Office is paying more atten-
recently to the
It is felt that
succes
been
British forces ix
tion
Ireland, should Germany
s* in) smashing
continue her
English defenses, a strong English base
be used to counter-
The War Office no
in Ireland could
attack the Germans.
longer rds the invasion of Ireland
as probable.
During recent operations in France,
Pownall served under Lord Gort. In
conferring this new post on him, the
War Office acted ‘
ence might be utilized to coordir
‘in order that his ex
pe
ate and supervise organisation of this
new and highly important foree
OBSOLETE?
The 50 ‘‘obsolete’’? and ‘‘over age’’
destroyers which President
“‘traded’’? to England in
worthless leases on our own property
are in ‘‘perfect condition’’ so far as the
English Navy
Roosevelt
return for
«
is concerned.
“They are simply magnificent
Ships’’, Rear Admiral Stewart Bon-
ham-Carter, Chief of English naval op-
erations in the North Atlantic,
when he took them over in Canada.
“They are in perfect condition. They
are the equal of our VNW’s, and the
equal of any ships we are getting’’.
said
For weeks before the deal with Eng-
land the American public was
cated”’ to the belief that these destroy-
and worthless.
“edu-
obsolete’’
ers were ‘‘
rer re
for ERISH
CALIFORNIA IRISH
PROTEST EXECUTIONS
The following resolution was received from
the KNIGHTS OF THE RED BRANCH of San
Francisco, California
AT we the members of the Knixh
h Francisco “do
of the, Irish
the ra
gondemn thre a
e Government
Nth_and ‘Thomas Gi
Trish Republles un Arm:
THAT believe that these
were inspired by ‘Sir John
vernor General
whose
dis
ting Pat
two soldiers
Me-
oe the
‘on September 6th, and
for. indepe ndence, and
tion of Irish race
enemy — Fingland, and
HA we record on
er
against the common
THA ‘eland’s roll of honor
the na t two unaciish patriot mar.
tyrs for’ Trish freedom,
THAT we express our sincere sympathy to
ies and relatives of Patrick MeGrath
ireen, and
THAT this resolution be recorded in our
minutes and copies sent to the press.
D. J. Griffin Conor Murphy
Resolutions Committee
the
ana ‘Thon
Thank You San Francisco! {
A
{
Freedom..!