were feverishly enlisting and training an army in view of a struggle with Germany. And the following year, when war broke out, England had the gall to say that she was unprepared and that the war was sprung on her.
No methods were too mean or low or despicable to induce the Irishman to enlist. Airs associated for generations with the Irish cause were played by British recruiting bands. Fancy England ordering her paid murderers to stimulate the circulation of the Irish fighting blood by rendering ‘O’Donnell Aboo’, ‘The Wearing of the Green’, and ‘The Boys of Wexford’. A few years back and the playing of Irish airs was a treasonable offense. Irish warpipe bands, with the ‘swaddies’ decked out in Irish kilts, was another feature. All this, of course, was done in order to impress the Irish with the ‘toleration’ existing within the bounds of the British Empire.
Posters and bills appeared frequently on the walls and telegraph poles all over the country, warning young Irishmen of the dangers, both nationally and morally of joining the British Army. During June, the whole of Ireland was placarded in one night. The authorities instituted a vigorous inquiry, but failed to arrest anyone for it.
In some places the anti-recruiting crusade was carried beyond this line of action. In Athlone, two military bands were busy playing for the dupes. The local Irish Pipers Band and the Fianna marched out one night as a counter attraction. After a good deal of jostling the soldiers at last had to fly to their barracks followed by the victorious lads, who had now been joined by the populace, who demonstrated their hatred by booing and shouting. A meeting was held outside the barracks and a vast crowd was addressed by several speakers, who applauded denunciatory statements against the British army. The soldiers were removed from the town by special train next morning.
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