Return of Miss Hughes to Canada

New Zealand Tablet, 27 October 1921, Page 11

Return of Miss Hughes to Canada

An Ottawa S.D.L. News letter, under date August 8, to the North-West Review of Winnipeg, says:— SelfDetermination for Ireland League of Australia, recently organised by Miss Katherine Hughes, is making remarkable strides despite the many obstacles placed in its way by politicians and Imperial propagandists. In the short period of less than five months, 369 branches were established, containing a paid-up membership of 33,900. These figures are taken from the reports of State secretaries submitted on June 14. Since that date the number of branches have been increased to over 400 and the membership to nearly 40,000. [The figures here given do not include New Zealand. The provincial district of Otago and Southland alone number 40 branches, with a membership of 6000.] Commenting on the foregoing, Miss Hughes remarked: 'This splendid showing from a brief campaign of 2 to 4 months must necessarily be most gratifying to all Australian friends of liberty, to the Irish nation and , their elected leaders, and particularly to all those who worked so devotedly to bring about these results. As a visitor aware of the world movement in aid of Ireland I must record with admiration that outside of Ireland itself no better record has been made. Canada's first four months have been outstripped, and even the preliminary work in the United States three years ago. The Irish of Australia obviously still maintain their reputation of being "the finest of the race overseas."