Irish News

New Zealand Tablet, 24 February 1916, Page 41

Irish News

-•> : -', < - GENERAL. '' x \ ■'"■■" In a communication to the City of Dublin Recruiting Committee, the War Office says that while the exigencies of the military situation do not permit the appointment of a special Irish correspondent, the Army Council is anxious that the many gallant deeds of the Irish troops should be described in as detailed a manner as possible. There has been a feeling without some foundation—that the heroic sacrifices of the Irish soldiers, especially in Gallipoli, have either been altogether ignored or coldly and _grudgingly reported. There is room for much improvement here. Quite a number of sons of medical men from Limerick are now with the colors. A son of the late Dr. Sullivan is a lieutenant in the Royal Engineers. Four sons of the late Dr. J. T. Hartigan, Tarbrook, Croom, are serving with the colors John Hartigan in the R.A.M.C.; Dr. T. J. Hartigan on H.M.S. Vengeance, the Rev. Jeremiah Hartigan, S.J., as an army chaplain, and Mr. M. G. Hartigan in the Gloucestershire Hussars Yeomanry. . A son of Dr. . Graham, Limerick, has received a commission in the R.A.M.C. At a recent meeting of the tenantry held on the Griffiths property, County Clare, the following resolution was unanimously .adopted—' That we, the tenants on the Griffiths estate, record our deep appreciation of the manner in which our worthy parish priest, Very Rev. J. Glynn, advocated our cause in negotiating the purchase of our holdings. He is, indeed, the real "Soggart Aroon,"* and we hope he will long continue in our midst to direct our interests. As regards the agent, Mr. Charles O'-Keane, we wish publicly to thank him for ' his kindness, patience, . and consideration to us during his agency on the property, as well as for the assistance he gave Father Glynn in carrying out the sale, and wish him every happiness.' As a result of the exertions of Rev. John Quinlan, P.P., Bansha, and Mr. John Cullinan, M.P., the sum of £lOl has been collected to indemnify Mr. Edward Phelan, D.C., Toureen, Bansha, n for the recent accidental burning of his entire stock of hay. The burning was caused by two of Mr. Phelan's children, of very tender years, who made a miniature bonfire near the hay rick. Father Quinlan, who presided at the meeting at which the presentation was made, congratulated Mr. Phelan on this striking proof of the good-will entertained by friends and neighbors for himself and his worthy father and family. Mr. Cullinan, M.P., and Rev. D. Moloney joined in the felicitations expressed by the rev. chairman. MR. JOHN'DILLON ON CONSCRIPTION. In the debate which took place in the House of Commons on December 20 on the vote for a million more men for the Army, Mr. John Dillon said if Parliament yielded to the military demand for an unlimited number of men they would travel the road which would lead to financial ruin and the loss of the war. He challenged the right of Lord Derby to raise the, cry of .the 'unmarried slacker.' There was no proof that there was more cowardice amongst the unmarried men than amongst the married men. It seemed to be assumed in some quarters of the press that the average Britisher was more or less a coward until he provided himself with a wife, and then he became a hero and eager for- the field of slaughter. The real issue was not whether a few unmarried slackers should be conscripted, but whether this nation was to be turned into a great military nation at the bidding of a section who were saturated to the marrow- of their bones with Prussian principles. Two sources of England's strength for two hundred years had been her fleet and her finances. They were in danger of forgetting that fact and being drawn away without any adequate debate or reasoned statement into the position of being a great military nation. It was an im-

possible position for England to maintain. England must cut her coat according to the cloth, or she would come to grief. Mr. Dillon emphatically condemned the policy of conscription, and said before any Government could enforce it the men responsible for past failures must be pilloried and removed from, their commands. The people would require assurances that if they had to go out to fight they would go under conditions which would give them a chance of winning the war. Conscription would create privileged classes, and would be repugnant . to- the consciences of many men, who would submit to death rather than take another person's life. Ireland had borne her part in the war, and her sons had splendidly redeemed the reputation of their race. He did not complain that Irish soldiers had been put in the forefront of the fighting. In the words of a popular Irish song, 'The van is the right of the Irish Brigade,', but he warned the Government that conscription would not- be tolerated in Ireland. The Irish were faithful allies, and as such could be relied upon; f but they were a free people and would not. be trampled upon. It would be an act of political insanity for any Government to embark upon conscription. r THE NORTH AND SOUTH. An Athlone correspondent of the Ulster Examiner writes:—Coincidentally with Mr. Redmond's references to the good relations existing between the Ulster and other Irish regiments in the field, I had a letter this morning from Private J. Cooney, an Athlone man serving with the Royal Irish Regiment, from which I transcribe the following passages : —r-' The Ulster Division are supporting us on our.right. The other morning I was out by myself, and met one of them. He asked me what part of Ireland I belonged to. I said a place called Athlone, in the County Westmeath. He said he was a Belfastman, and a member of the Ulster Volunteers. I said I was a Nationalist Volunteer, and that the National Volunteers were started in my native town. "Well," said he, "that.is all over now. We are Irishmen fighting together, and we will forget all these things. " I don't mind if we do," said I, 'but I'm not particularly interested. We must all" do our bit out here, , no matter where we come from, North or South, and that is enough for the time." "I hear Carson is gone," said he—"retired from the Cabinet." I did not know •whether he was or not, but said they would probably be able to manage without him. This young Belfastman was very anxious to impress me with the fact that we Irish were all one that there should be no bad blood between us, and we became quite friendly in the course of a few minutes.' THE PRICE THAT IRELAND PAID. The Belfast Irish News, commenting on the statement made in the House of Commons that the Allied troops had been withdrawn from Gallipoli, said: —- The above news marks the. end of an extraordinary phase of the war which was productive of more controversy than any other of the Allies' enterprises. The chief landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula in April last were made at Sedd-ul-Bahr and Cape Helles. Here it was that the Dublin Fusiliers and the Munster Fusiliers,, together with the Hampshires, on going ashore from the troopships, met with a terrible cross-fire from the heights above. They had to cross the gangway of lighters to the slight shelter afforded by a shelving beach. Many of them fell even on the boats and the the gangway. It was here, too, that the heroic Father Finn, the Irish chaplain, met with his death. Although men were dropping every instant others pushed on, and among them Father Finn, who was struck by a bullet while giving consolation to the wounded Irish soldiers. . Still the landing was persevered with, and eventually a portion of the Munsters and Dublins got ashore, where they were subjected to a fearful ordeal ' for twenty-four hours. Finally, other troops were landed, and then the Irish regiments, or what remained

, of them, were mustered together, and with a mighty effort they charged and captured the trenches above them, took the Turkish guns and forts, and pushed on to the village of; Sedd-ul-Bahr and Hill-141 At the same time the Australians and New Zealanders to the number of 12,000, effected a-landing at Gaba Tepe, further along the northern shore of the peninsula. They, too; had to fight for every inch of the ground, but eventually secured what was practically a cleft in the mountain of Sari-Bahr. The place soon became known as Anzac, from the letters on the labels of the Australian forces—Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The landing at Suvla Bay was a later operation, intended to get behind the main Turkish forces. In this the 10th Irish Division * took part, and although most of them were new troops, they worthily upheld the fame of Irish bravery. > One of •the hills they captured in a bayonet charge became known as Dublin Hill. The landing at' Suvla Bay will not soon be forgotten in Ireland, for among the heaviest sufferers were the Pals' Battalion of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers, which included many wellknown Dublin men of all ranks of life. On the 12th August, 1915, Col. Downing wrote: 'We left our last place last Friday, the 6th, and arrived here to effect a new landing on the 7th. We fought from early morning to dark, and the 7th R.D.F. made a great name for itself; they did splendidly, and lam so proud of them. I got a message from General during one of the hottest times of the attack that it was imperative that Hill 53 should be taken before sundown (now Dublin Hill). I was the senior "Colonel in the attacking line, and told him it should be done. We Captured it at 7.30 p.m. (just as it was getting dark), and the Turks fled from it, and we gained the front line of trenches. Major Harrison led the final attack and capture, and I came after him with the reserve (he is the bravest of the brave). We have gained a great name for the capture and for the splendid regiment which I have the honor to command.' 1 . - ! The following is an extract from another . letter: 'We had quite a glorious victory yesterday. We took a big hill. The Dublins and the Munsters did splendidly. You should have heard the men in an R.N. gunboat, that was guarding our left flank, cheer. It was splendid. I shall never forget it.'