Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 5 November 1914, Page 34

Notes

Cross-Examination of Bishop Cleary .- The Education Committee having presented its report to the House, we are now in a position, without committing a breach of Parliamentary- privilege, to give a verbatim and official report of the evidence given by Bishop Cleary under cross-examination by Canon Garland and others, and we commence .publication thereof in this -issue. Readers will note how the care-fully-prepared ‘ trap ’ questions utterly fail of their purpose how Bishop Cleary, who is supposed to be on the defensive, is really from the outset vigorously aggressive; and how, under plea of saving the Committee's time, Canon Garland becomes eager to escape from the uncomfortable corner in which he finds himself. These, and other still more interesting features, will appear yet more strongly as the evidence develops. Irish Songs in Battle A special contributor who supplies a weekly column of war items and comment to the London Daily Dis- . patch has the following in the issue of September 4: ‘ I have been favored with a letter - from an officer at the front. In describing the behaviour of one of the battalions of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, he says that the men ‘ fought like devils,’ and a comical incident of their .presence in- the long-diawn action in front of Caxnbrai was that in the intervals of the German waves of attack being precipitated on/ their line they sang The Wearin’ o’ the Green’ and ‘ God Save Ireland.’ A field officer of this particular unit testily remarked, We’ve heard enough all day of your Fenian songs; give us something else.”. Then, when there was a cessation of , the Teutonic onslaught, some Dublin x “ corner boys struck up a still more ultra-Fenian chanson: - £ ■ , . - Why do We meet but to repeat Our vows made night and day , For Ireland, brave oldf Ireland— for aye! \ As my old /brother officer observes, “these confounded Fenians can fight. Four times within one hour my blackguards drove a charge home with the bayonet.” ’ , ■ •’ . * vi.- ‘-•A. - >■ 4 ; v.--- - v ■- ■ v -,„/v;;'-- ?{'+?,■'■'■ ■* _ N ’ • i A similar ■< incident was' referred to by Mr. John Redmond in his speech in the House of Commons on the final passing of the Home/Rule Bill::‘Then there -is the story in yesterday’s papers from the lips of a ; wounded French soldier, jvho 1 : described j how the Irish Guards charged with the bayonet three regiments of German Cavalry,, and, as the French soldier said, “They charged singing a strange song that I have never ; heard before.” And the newspaper man asked.the wounded, soldier what were the words, and,: the answer was “I cannot tell you What the words were, but they sang something about Goth saving Ireland” (Nationalist cheers). I saw these men ’marching, through London on their way to the station. They marched passed this building singing ‘‘God save Ireland,” - and it f is; un./necessary for me to tell this /• House the magnificent : material the / country | has •at! its /disposal ,in - the Irish