UNITED STATES AND SINN FEIN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2084, 31 January 1920, Page 4

UNITED STATES AND SINN FEIN.

SUPPORT FOR ADMIRAL SIMS, Tin* ill tempt by the Sinn I'Vin erganUaiion ami the Irish National Bureau to have Admiral Sims disciplined by Ihe Navy Department on account of the accusations of active ■ pro-Gorman is in which he publicly levelled against the Sinn Feiners in Ireland- has produced a crop of lot tors to the various New Lurk newspapers, letters written hy former naval officers and others attached to the United. States Lied: in British waters, many of the writers b&ing Irishmen. All affirm the correctness of the Admiral’s statements; some go fur-, (her than lie did. A typical letter appeared in the Now York Times on November 81 h, signed hy Kenneth Keyes, Lieutenant, U.S. Naval Air Service Reserve, and King IVhitney, Lieutenant in the same service. They say;— ‘•There is no question that there was open hostility between Irish Sinn Eeiners and members' of the American forces on duty- in Ireland. The average male Sinn Fcmer.was blessed with health and 'physical! force, yet he did not wear the uniform of the British military forces. The Americans therefore looked upon him as a slacker. Oar men, who had come thousands of miles to aid in the war against Germany, were very naturally incensed at .finding an, element in Ireland which never lost an opportunity of giving aid and comfort to the enemy. “We were amazed, indeed, to lind a large percentage of the male population, all of military age, going about their daily business of loafing during t he day and sneaking around in military formal ions m preparation for their threateaed revolt hy night. If they were friends of the Americans, they demonstrated (heir affection in a very inconsistent manner. It Ims been our experience, and that of many more American naval officers and men in (lie South of Ireland, Ur he pointed out as a “dirty Yank"- on numerous occasions. While motoring from one station to another we would pass through villages and receive a rousing welcome from the male population,' who would cry, “Up Germany!” “Up, Sinn Fein!” while the mure youthful and playful males would punctuate their shouts hy directing a, barrage of stones at us.” Another letter, also from a former member of the United Stales naval forces, describes- the feelings of the writer and his comrades during the dark days of March, .1.918, seeing thousands of British troops immobilised in Ireland because of Sinn Lein threats.