[Miscellaneous]

The Tuam Herald, Saturday, April 21, 1923.

"Ireland is yours for the making; make it."

Arthur Griffith.

The National Army

The present condition and conduct of the National Army and police Force is a subject of great National importance and has been made the subject of considerable and diverse comment. Two classes of native critics have taken upon themselves the task of judge and have passed judgment upon their efficiency and expressed opinions thereon. The whole question of the police and military organization has been debated and discussed. One large section of these self appointed critics are the old Castle gang, the disgruntled Unionists yet left with us, inaudible except in secret, who still wish the whole matter of native government would fail so that he and alien rule, under which he flourished, might be justified. The other class of critic is the more destructive and often the more insidious. He is the discontented Irishman who today posing as a republican would like to see everything go to smash so that the present party would come to grief and have no share or credit for pulling the country through its troubles. That latter body of critic has plenty to talk about. The ill advised tactics of the irregulars have made an army a National necessity in Ireland today . They have imposed militarism for the moment upon the country and thereby a heavy debt which would not otherwise have been incurred. That is what they have succeeded in doing. But for the disastrous irregular campaign of destruction, Ireland would be today the lowest taxed and the most progressive country in the world. It will be so yet, but not immediately because of ourselves. Thanks to the actions of the irregulars we are saddled with a debt which is for the moment crippling our resources and preventing that industrial expansion and reconstruction generally which would otherwise have taken place to the benefit of every man, woman and child in the community. We are reaping the harvest of irregular warfare.

The National Army had to be raised and organized to meet this state of things and cope with the situation that arose on the departure of the English forces when with it was the resurgence of ruffianism of every kind. Every kind of criminal was let loose. The army and police organized to cope with these formidable forces of disorder is to—day despite all the drawbacks of its initiation and embodiment, although recruiting had to be hurriedly done, a very creditable institution. With such men and materials as were at hand in the emergency wonders have been done. The organizer of the National Army were given no time for deliberation, no chance for picking and choosing, no leisure for selection. They had to go to work at once, and delay became dangerous, even that for a day. Despite all these difficulties a splendid force has been got together — an army and police which every day is improving in efficiency and fitness. Man for man there is not in Europe a finer body of young men than our soldiers and civil guard. They are well set up, fast—limbed, intelligent. On the whole considering their limitations and disadvantages they are as a force as well behaved and as capable as could be found in any similar body else where. There may have been some individuals who acted intemperately and indiscreetly and perhaps occasionally in many quarters now and then the want of proper disciplinary methods and strict direction may have led to conduct not too creditable. But on the whole, these mistakes were very low and far between and were confined to isolated cases, and the moment attention was called to the defects an honest attempt was successfully made to correct them and prevent their recurrence. One has only to see the unquestionably creditable turn out of the men on any occasion of display to realize what excellent material is now at the disposal of the Army General Staff and what excellent use they have made of it.

The National Army today can compete in every point of view with a similar body of men in any other part of the world. They need not fear comparison with the British army. They are well trained, well clothed and well conducted, and every day sees them becoming more and more efficient and better and better fitted for their work. When the Free State set about functioning it was not expected that more than a small body of trained men would be necessary for its army — only a corporal's guard was wanted — nor were more men really needed for the general purposes of administrative and internal defense. Unfortunately however the tornado of terrorism and destruction that was let loose involving and evolving every form of crime against life and property, the scandalous sabotage of public property, the ruin of towns and districts and residences by fire, made a large force of military a supreme National necessity. The State has and for some time will have to bear the heavy burden of all that frightful work in taxes imposed on it, to make good the devilish damage done and to prevent the work of destruction from continuing or spreading. The Army we have now to provide and pay for is the necessary result and reward of the irregular policy and their criminal campaign of ruin. For that and the greater loss we have suffered in the moral degradation of the people by such excesses, we have to be indebted to these wild men and their murderous and mischievous methods. The bravest of them now admit the failure, the futility and the folly of their tactics; confess their defeat and allow themselves to be captured with such confessions of defeat on their persons. But while the back of the war of ruin and aggression is undoubtedly broken the mischief let loose is not yet entirely quelled and put under. It will yet break out in fitful spurts and to keep a firm hold of the situation the Army must remain in its highest state of efficiency. They have had a hard task to discharge, difficult and distasteful work to do, but they did their duty like men. Under the trying circumstances in which the army and civic police found themselves, having to deal with their nearest fellows, often with their own kith and kin, they never swerved in their loyalty to the State or their devotion to duty.

They are day by day, the men and officers and, the rank and file, being turned into a really splendid Army, fit and well fit for the difficult, dangerous and delicate tasks they have to discharge and they are acquitting themselves with creditable capacity and admitted fitness. The sneers and the jeers of the politician, the newspaper and the domestic critic are undeserved and unwarranted and may be regarded and treated as contemptibly insignificant. No one pays or need pay any attention to such malignant, unjust and ill—conceived criticism. It is not the duty or the right of any citizen to disparage or defame a body of men, such as our army and police are, trying under very troublesome conditions to do their duty and by universal opinion succeeding in doing so. Such conducts of condemnation or criticism is unpatriotic and unjust. It is positively scandalous and shameful and should not be tolerated. No one objects to honest and well meaning criticism of any men or situation. It is the breath of our life. We must, however, remember that we are dealing with human beings and not with angels and that necessarily we must make allowances for weak human nature's frailties, failings and faults. But making all due allowance for same no honest critic can find serious fault with the army or police. Every well meaning citizen should, therefore, at a crisis like the present do his duty by the police and army and should not fail from supporting by sympathy and encouragement what is in very truth the army of the people, raised from the people for the good of the people. Being thus a National institution the Army is entitled to receive and should receive at the hands of an appreciative public the fullest measure of this encouraging help and commendation which in common justice it is entitled to claim at its hands.

The Situation

The dawn is breaking. One by one the heads and leaders of the republican revolt are surrendering or being captured. Liam Lynch is gone to his last account, dying from wounds received in his capture. Austin Stack has been found in a field in Tipperary with a note to his comrades to abandon the fight. Dan Breen is also captured. So only De Valera remains out of the leading lights.

The Poteen Pest

The Irish correspondent of the "New Statesman" (a well informed and independent writer) has in his article of this week a wise and timely word to say about the pernicious poteen peril. He writes thus on the subject: —

For the present the worst leakage in the budget is due to the activities of poteen makers. These pests have provided us not only with a financial but with a social problem of the gravest kind. In the old days, though poteen did infinite harm to the Irish peasantry, it was at least a drinkable if potent liqueur distilled from honest barley. Today it is rank poison. At the last resort its makers rely on molasses and in some districts they do not hesitate to pass off on their customers a spirit which owes its strength, its kick from petrol. For the worst use of this poteen our asylums report tell a melancholy tale of the affect of this habit on the mental health of the population. So far the warnings of the medical profession have proved as futile as the denunciation of the clergy.

This is too terribly true. If the poteen evil continue unabated the mental strength of the population will be undermined. Poteen is now used in adulterating all whiskey, for there is no adulteration law to keep such crime in check. The District Justices should in case of conviction impose the heaviest fines and there should be no remission. Meantime the public should in their own interest assist the Civic Guards, who are doing their best in running down "stills" and so preventing the making of this poisonous stuff. It is rank poison and is accountable for a good deal of the wild savagery which has of late disgraced our people and led them to acts Irishmen should blush to think of.

The President of the Czecho Slovak Republic

Mr. R. J. Kelly, K.C., has received the following letter from the President of the Czecho Slovak Republic: —

Kancelar,
Presidents Republiky,
Prague.

Dear Sir — The President of the Czecho Slovak Republic has directed me to convey to you his best thanks for your congratulations on the occasion of his Birth day and also for notes from the Tuam Herald.

Kancelar, Presidents Republiky.

Death of Father Shanagher, P.P.

We deeply regret the death of the Rev. Fr. Shanagher, P.P., of Aughrim, which occurred on Monday after a long illness. Deceased was a zealous, hardworking and highly respected priest and is deeply regretted.

Military Censorship in Tuam

A military order has been issued in Tuam prohibiting the publication of any proclamation of the Irregulars banning amusements of any description, i.e., dances, race meetings, coursing meetings, etc.

The Potters of Tuam

The death of Miss Margaret Potter of Dunmore, a relative of the Tullys, reminds a correspondent to tell us that Mount Potter, in this town on Tullinadaly Road, afterwards Ard Mullen when Mr. Mullen lived there, and next Ard Gannon when Mr. Gannon lived there, was originally called Mount Potter after the Potters who lived there for years. One of that family was the late Samuel Potter who was Manager of the National Bank at Clifden. The only one remaining now is Mr. Lewis Potter of Mt. Potter, an ancestor of whom married a Miss Kelly of Tuam 123 years ago, about the year 1800. A descendant of that family, John Hope Potter, of the Brick House Culhampton, Devonshire, left Ireland a boy in 1868.

The Head of the Army

We say elsewhere what we think of the Army of the Free State. We give what its able head said to a Press correspondent recently: —

Gen. Richard Mulcahy, head of the Free State Army as Minister of Defense, told "The New York Herald" correspondent that the Free State Government was doing as well in the circumstances as any Government in the world could hope to do.

"It is only a matter of time before we are able to clean up the whole opposition," was his emphatic declaration. "The irregulars today are like batches of quicksilver, which, when you put your finger on them, split up and roll away".

Asked what the chances were of subduing the rebels, Gen. Mulcahy said: "The opposition may collapse overnight, or it may continue for some time. But there is no central leadership at all. The irregular force today comprises bands going about the country, inspired by the vague idea of destroying the Government. If one or two big industries could be started it would help to draw these men away from the forces opposing the Government. From documents we have captured it is quite clear the morale of the irregulars is rapidly weakening.|

When Gen. Mulcahy was asked if he thought the campaign of wrecking and incendiarism could be ascribed in any way, to the development of Bolshevism in Ireland, he declared: "I don't know the meaning of the word Bolshevism but if social destroyer are Bolsheviki, then it is the Bolshevik here who are doing it."

According to Gen. Mulcahy all but 200 miles of the Irish railway system is now protected by the Free State, largely through the formation of the railway protection and maintenance corps. This corps, he said, comprised men who had been thrown out of work by the depredations of the irregulars. These men were enlisted in the corps on the same pay which obtained on the railways. As fast as railways were repaired they were permitted to return to their old jobs. Meanwhile the nucleus of the corps was maintained.

"The work of this corps," said Gen. Mulcahy, "is to protect and maintain the railways. Block—houses are stationed a distance of every two or three miles and connected by telephones. We have not only foot patrols between but armored cars, which are equipped with railway wheels, as they can operate on the track."

According to Gen. Mulcahy, the Free State Army is manufacturing most of its ordnance and has invented a new machine gun and a trench mortar. Eventually, it is hoped to have an army which will be smaller in proportion to the population than the American Army.

United Ireland

This excellent paper which carried on the policy and principles of Arthur Griffith is now edited by Sean Milroy and ably, creditably and successfully is he discharging his difficult task. Every one interested in the cause of reasoned Nationality should support this journal and so help it to continue its useful work. There is such an awful amount of half knowledge and ignorance of essential economic principles about and abroad. So much noxious nonsense passing under the guise of patriotism that a paper like this and a clear thinking writer like the late Arthur Griffith and his worthy successor Sean Milroy are doing a great work in the direction of popular education so as to keep the Irish people from making fools of themselves and acting lke children with no sense of responsibility. Could anything be better put than this in its last issue: —

"Solid and substantial as Irelands' economic position was it might easily have been reduced to ruins, if the nefarious attempt of the De Valeras and MacSweenys had succeeded. We are not out of he wood and can draw our breath. The Irish State has been saved but it was a close call. The hand that burned down our mansions and broke bridges would have left Irish civilization in ruins if it could. We may thank the high Irish courage that faced the awful situation. Specially should we be grateful to the organizing ability that brought an Irish army into being with such incredible swiftness. The Irish State has been saved, and Irish prosperity has been given a chance. The same courage and ability that carried it through the last twelve months will restore Irish industries quickly. A year or two should see prosperity once more in the land. But let us not delude ourselves. Much has been destroyed by the madness of the last twelve months that will take years to restore. As Mr. George Russell (A.E.) says:

"The champion of physical force have, I am sure without intent, poisoned the should of Ireland. All that was exquisite and lovable was dying. They had squandered a spirit created by poets, scholars, and patriots of a different order, spending treasure lavishly as militarists in all lands do, thinking little of what they squander, save that it gives a transitory gilding to their propaganda."

The Irish people may forgive Mr. De Valera for all the material damage he has caused, and even for the lives that have been lost, but they will be slow to forgive him for destroying that kindly feeling that prevailed between neighbors in every part in Ireland before his civil war. That kindly feeling was in evidence at every fair and market and gatherings of every kind. In its stead the civil war has brought suspicion, distrust, and other ugly feelings that will need long years to drive away."

Tuam Town Commissioners — Executions Condemned

The monthly meeting of above was held on Tuesday evening last.

Mr. G. Guy, Solr., Chairman, presiding. Also present — Messrs. J. Moran, J. Garvey, M. Dwyer, Pat Walsh, M. Cooney, M. J. Walsh, P. J. Byrne, J. Burke.

Mr. Burke said he had a resolution to propose in reference to the executions that had taken place in Tuam, but he would wait until all the members were present so that they could give their views.

Mr. Moran proposed that only urgent business be gone on with, and that after the resolution they adjourn as a mark of respect to the memories of the six young men who were executed.

The minutes were read and signed, and correspondence read from the L. G. Department in regard to the housing scheme about to be put into operation. The Department mentioned an extension of the rating from 1s 6d to 1s 9d in the £ to make up the money required to be got to the bank as loss and overdraft. The total cost of five houses to be built would be £3,343, of which £2,252 would be given in grants by the Government. The question of advertising and completing the preliminary arrangements was left to the bard's committee.

A letter was read from the secretary of the Secondary Teachers' Association enclosing a copy of a resolution passed by the Dublin Corporation, stating that that council approved of the claims in regard to salary, security of tenure, pensions, etc, claimed by the secondary teachers, and desiring to impress on the Government the urgent necessity for taking into consideration their teacher claims for higher remuneration, etc.

Chairman — I propose the adoption of the resolution. There are no more sweated workers in all Ireland than secondary teachers.

Mr. Cooney — there are no worse paid officials in the country.

The resolution was unanimously approved.

On the suggestion of the chairman, it was decided that in further, when the clerk or a member of the board observed a trader having the roadway or pathway outside his premises blocked with goods exposed for sale, the matter be reported to the Civic Guard.

Mr. Burke then proposed the following resolutions —

"That we hereby record our disapproval of, and sorrow at, the executions carried out in his town on Wednesday morning last, and we equally condemn attacks on the National forces, and reprisals, by whomsoever committed. That we respectfully request his Grace the Archbishop of Tuam and, through him, the other Bishops of Ireland to use their influence with the Free State Government to have a stop put to such executions in future, as already more than enough blood has been spilt and young lives sacrificed in this unholy war. Further, that we join with other public bodies in the suggestion that Monsignor Luzio, Papal Envoy, be invited to act as intermediary between the two contending parties to negotiate an hourourable peace, and thus bring to an end the horrible conditions now existing, which are a disgrace to the name of Ireland. That we tender to the bereaved parents and relatives of the deceased young men our heartfelt sympathy, and we are of the opinion that, as Liam Lynch, one of the leaders, was accorded a pubic funeral this week, the bodies of these executed young men should be given over to their relatives for interment. That copies of this resolution be sent to his Grace the Archbishop of Tuam, the Ministry of Dáil Éireann, and the T.D.'s for this county.

Mr. Burke, in proposing the resolution said the people of Tuam were shocked and pained at three terrible executions. They heard a great deal nowadays of the old Gaelic civilization and building up a Gaelic State, but if the Gaelic State could only be built up by the execution of young Irish men he feared it would have a poor foundation. He was no supporter of Republican attacks on the people's Government or of violence in any shape or form.

Mr. Moran seconded as a most painful duty and said he knew some of the parents of the boys executed — parents who brought up children as Catholic and patriotic as were ever brought up in Ireland. Little he thought the children of such good honest parents would meet with such a faith as they met with at the hands of their own countrymen. To the parents, and to the sisters of the deceased men (and to the sister of one of them in Tuam Mercy Convent), they tendered their deepest sympathy.

Chairman — I think it is a good moderate resistance that anyone can subscribe to.

Mr. Cooney — The people of Tuam were disgusted at these executions, which took place without a word being known about [unable to read].

Chairman — I would also like to express sympathy with the people killed in Headford, and I propose that the Commissioners pass a vote of sympathy with them also.

Mr. Cooney seconded.

Mr. P. Walsh — They are all Irishmen.

Mr. Byrne — There is no doubt that the sympathy of the Tuam people is extended to the whole lot of them who lost their lives in Headford and Tuam.

Mr. Burke — The executions did more harm than good, and it is very bad policy for an Irish Government.

Mr. M. J. Walsh — Those executions ??? a feeling of horror around here.

Mr. Cooney — It was unfair to bring them here for execution. They were brought from Galway, and they had been captured and tried in Galway by Galway troops.

Mr. Burke — And they voluntarily surrendered what is more, and should not be taken out and shot afterwards.

Mr. Moran — They should be treated as prisoners of war.

Chairman — We will not go into the political aspect of it.

Mr. Moran — This work must end in this country if we are to live as a Christian people.

The resolutions were unanimously passed.