Notes

New Zealand Tablet, 28 January 1915, Page 34

Notes

Held Over

Owing to extreme pressure on our space, arising from accumulated Federation reports, a quantity of late matter, including report of a Federation social function at Timaru, lias been unavoidably held over.

Wexford to the Fore

Rear-Admiral Beatty, who led the British Squadron in the two naval victories in the North Sea, was born in Wexford, and is the youngest Admiral in the British Navy. We learn from the cables that Mr. John Redmond, on behalf of Wexfordians, has congratulated Admiral Beatty on his victory.

The Censor’s (Long) Way

Mr. Punch ’ thus aptly hits off the devious and tedious ways of the press censor: ‘ A censored letter from a correspondent at the front tells us that the most popular song with our troops is the following :

‘ “It’s a long way to , It’s a long way to go; It’s a long way to , To the sweetest I know, Goodbye , farewell ; It’s a long, long way to , But my heart’s right .”

It will be interesting to hear further details as soon as they can bo divulged without giving the position away to the enemy.’

Irishmen and the War

It would seem fairly clear that the recruiting movement is gathering strength amongst-Irishmen, both in Ireland and out of, it. According to a. recent cable, ‘ Viscount MacDdnnell states that 115,000 Irishmen have enlisted in the past few months in the United Kingdom ’ and the message adds: ‘ Earl Crewe states that recruiting is proceeding in Ireland to the satisfaction of the War Office.’

The statement is confirmed by the remarks made by the Very Rev. Dean Holley, S.M., at a social tendered to him the other evening on the occasion of his return from Europe. You hear all kinds of rumors about treason on the part of Ireland and Irishmen,’ says the Press .Association report of Dean Holley’s speech. But while there are some black sheep and demented individuals in every community—and there are some in Ireland— can say that an overwhelming majority of the people in Ireland are cordially in sympathy with the Allies, and are giving practical expression to that sympathy.’ The Dean further remarked that although during the last century Ireland’s population has been reduced *by one-halffrom 8,000,000 to 4.000,000 it had sent a larger number of soldiers, in proportion, than any other part of the Empire. Referring to the Irish-American hostility to Great Britain, he said that a few misled people who, before they left Ireland, belonged to the ‘ physical force men,’ were preaching an alliance with Germany. Their meetings were sparsely attended and largely reported. Speaking of America’s attitude, he said that the tone of all the newspapers he had read were —with

a. few exceptionsin accord with the aspirations of the allies.