IRISHMEN AND THE WAR.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16853, 5 June 1920, Page 9

IRISHMEN AND THE WAR.

TO THIS EDITOR OT U TH* PRESS." Sir, —In your paper of tho 2nd of this month, you give prominence to a meeting held at Wanganui by a lot of Orange bigots, who have had the audacity to get up on a platform and pass a resolution calling on the Prime Minister and tho Minister of External Affairs to suppress all meetings held for the' purpose of the collection of money for the self-determination of Ireland, and to stop any such from leaving the. Dominion. Now, tho absurdity and bigotry of that! Do those bigots think of what enemies—or enemies of the Empire, as they prefer to call us —have done for them during the war? Do they forgot of the volunteers who left Ireland for tho defence ot tie Empire, and of their own country. They went to fight that justice should reign. They went to fight for tho freedom and prosperity of nmall and weak nations. Ireland was a nation small and weak enough, and they had her before their minds when they volunteered when England was crying out for the protection of small Now we have that lot of bigots at Wan&anui calling us enemies of the Empire. Do they think of the thousands cf Irishmen who died in the field, who were wounded and crippled for life —of thoso of their enemies who volunteered to join tho colours who were added to the multitude of Irishmen in England and Scotlaud who were scattered through the English and Scottish Itegiwents, not minding thoso of the colonies? They would see then who were the real enemies—whether they were Irishmen or Orangemen. Thcy c?!l us enemies. To prove to them one little instance out ui iiundreds of others I could cite if

they want them, I will give one little tiling that happened in England. In September," .1914, when the war was only a few-weeks old, a movement was started in Newcastle-on-Tyno to establish by voluntary enlistment, distinctive Scottish, Irish, and English battalions aimongst.the working men of the Tynesido. One generous Tynesider, a Mr Cowen, subscribed £10,000 #to assist the movement, and the enemies, :\s those law-abiding Orangemen or bigots of Wanganui prefer to call us, came to it so enthusiastically that in twelve weeks 5500 Irishmen were raised and formed into a brigade, beating both the Scots and Tynesiders themselves, and Sir Cowen gave £5000 to the Irish Committee in recognition of their success. Now.,; myself, I am a staunch Homo Ruler, and all appertaining thereto ; so was.my father dnd my brother. And am,l to be called an enemy of the Empire after getting disabled in this war.;, and my father, who died from the: after-effects, after four years' service, at the ago of 53; and my brother, who is • also discharged through being disabled? ..rt galls me to think that a crew like .that of Wanganui, who passed the resolution should call any true Irishman an enemy of tho Empire. I sincerely. hope you will give as much prominence to this letter, as you did to that bigotry crew at "Wanganui.— Yours, etc., ~R. KELLEHER, Junr. Wellington Hotel, June 4th. P.S. ; —I might mention that there was no compulsion where we enlisted, and it is to bo hoped that Mr Massey's waste-paper basket was not too full when he received tho copy of "Wanganui resolution.