Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 10 December 1914, Page 34

Notes

Ireland and the War Mr. John Redmond, M.P., speaking at Tuam (says a cable in Tuesday’s papers), said that there were 89.000 Irishmen in the army when war broke out, and 54.000 had since enlisted, apart from the Irishmen in the Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand contingents. Ireland had made a treaty of peace with England, the breaking of which would mean eternal disgrace. Yet there were men insane and wicked, enough to advocate tearing up a solemn undertaking between democracies. The ‘ Capture ’ of Paris We take the following from a letter from Paris in Honor Walsh’s department in the Philadelphia Catholic Standard and Times: —‘Paris has been capturedby Paddy and Sandy. The British soldiers are singing Irish and Scotch songs as they, march to the front, songs quickly picked up as to tune, but . generally shattered in the wording by the insouciant little French “ soldats.” One refrain which has gained vogue in the boulevards is called “The way to Tipperary.” Although I thought I knew all the Irish songs, this one is new to me. You should hear the Zouaves making a French chanson of the catchy melody. Evidently the way to “ Teeparrarri ” ands to them for ' “ a Berlin ! ” ’ Pointed Points Here are some crisp newspaper comments on some minor aspects of the war; ‘ After all, the Swiss Navy is making as much noise as the rest.’ — Washington Post. Europe has knocked the “II” out of Hague and given it the ague.’— Birmingham News. ' ‘ After all, we have no complaint that the Atlantic is 3000 miles wide.’ Los Angeles Express. ‘ There are many Russian names that need revision worse than St. Petersburg.’— Post-Standard. ‘ There seems to -be a demand in the textile trades for practical chemists to teach American workmen how to dye for their country.’ —Los Angeles Express. ‘ One of the grand openings for bright young men in Europe after, the war will be in the claims and damages department.’— Chicago News. Mr Chesterton and Belgium’s Splendor ' We have printed, many tributes to the glory of Belgium, but none. of them finer or more to the point

than this brief passage from one of Mr. G. K. Chesterton’s contributions to the Illustrated London News : 4 The action of Belgium gives her a claim on something beyond, pity or even gratitude—a claim on our intellectual honor beyond anything that even suffering could extort. She had faith in our policy almost before we had one. She answered for our truth and virtue before we answered ourselves. For one awful hour she found herself alone in Europe; and yet she ’ answered for Europe. And she answered right. In that enormous circle of silence the first shot from Liege was the answer of Christendom. That little country, with its pattern of bright fields as tidy as a chessboard, with its medley of medieval cities as carved and quaint as the chessmen, found somewhere in itself, and by itself, the voice that is the voice of two thousand years—Through me no friend shall meet his doom; .Here, while 1 live, ho foe finds room.” ’

The Irish Brigade : Mr Redmond’s Views

The Irish Leader, speaking in Kilkenny on Sunday, October IS, plained his views on the proposed Irish Brigade. ‘ I think,’ said M-r. Redmond, 4 that any Irishman for the future who makes up his mind to go and join the army ought to be very careful to do so only through the Irish Brigades. (Hear, hear.) Now, as you are aware, there is in existence what is called the 16th Division which is being recruited. The headquarters are at Mallow, and it is being recruited over the country. It consists, of three brigades. These brigades arc to consist of no one except Irishmen. (Hear, hear.) The men from different counties and localities arc to be kept together : no one but Irishmen are to be allowed into these brigades : no officers except Irish officers are to be in command : the Commander-in-Chief is a distinguished Irish General, Sir Laurence Parsons : and the Catholic chaplains who are to accompany these brigades, are to be selected by his Eminence Cardinal Logue. (Applause.) And I think, under those circumstances, it would be well for anv Irishman who makes up his mind to enlist, to take care that he is not drafted into any other regiment, but, that lie is put into what will be known in the future history of Ireland and the world as the Irish Brigade for the French war. (Applause;) Just one other word. Of course, recruiting is an absolutely voluntary thing. The idea that either I or .anybody else is seeking to induce or compel anybody against his will to recruit is absurd and ridiculous.’ (Hear, hear.) 4 Long Live Ireland ’ The following quaint and pleasant letter of thanks from a Belgian lady appears in the Cork Examiner: ■ Dear Sir, —Will you kindly insert these two letters. I translated the Flemish letter into Englisch. The original they made up themself. Will you kindly forward to other papers. . ‘Lily Courier.’ Then is given the Flemish text of the original letter, after which comes the good lady’s TRANSLATION. ‘ Ofter the good reception we hath it is our duty to thank the people. ‘ First of all we thank the Bisshop and the Lord Mairie for the good wisches and friendly welcome and the trouble they did to deplace them self for us. Olso our best thanks to the good Lady’s of the Committee and those who have provided us with such a good home, and who have and still are doing such a - lot for us. ‘ Then to the manager of the Steam Packet Company, who have given us such a pleasant journey. Then to finisch our best thanks to all the town of Cork on those thousands and thousands of people who have welcomed us and who go ’s on to provide for us. ‘ Long live Belgium ! ! ! ' ( ‘ Long live Cork ! ! ! ‘ Long live Ireland ! ! ! ’