The Pittsburgh Press (August 29, 1942)
Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
DUBLIN – In talking with newly made friends, I’ve tried to keep away from the question of why Ireland isn’t in the war. But the Irish won’t let you keep away from it.
Everybody you talk with brings it up, and immediately starts explaining. “What is the attitude about it in America?” they ask. I tell them we don’t know much about it, but do feel that Ireland is letting her hatred of the British close her eyes to her own danger.
“But that isn’t it at all,” they say. “It isn’t because we hate the British.” And then they go on to explain. I’ve had dozens of people explain to me for hours.
Ireland is neutral, they say, because she fears that she couldn’t survive a war as an independent nation, and that she would have to go back under Britain, win or lose.
She fears also that if she went into the war on promises from Britain, the promises wouldn’t be kept. She fears she might lose all she has gained in the past 20 years.
An acquaintance of mine, in trying to analyze the Irish viewpoint on the war, says he feels that Ireland has independence and neutrality confused. That being a free nation at last after a thousand years of subjugation, she feels that a firm neutrality stand is somehow a proof to the world of her power to do at last as she pleases.
Various Irish friends have told me that the people are whole-heartedly back of Ireland’s neutrality stand, and I must admit that this is my impression. Yet another close Irish friend, getting down to heart-to-heart talk, said he was sure the people would favor war if it went to a vote.
Americans here tell me they love the Irish, but they can’t pretend to understand them. I feel very much that way myself. As an instance, one man said, upon being introduced: “If you’re going back to Washington right away I’d like to send a message to Mr. Roosevelt.”
“I’m not,” I said. “But what is your message?”
“Tell him,” said my new acquaintance, “that if he doesn’t hurry up the Germans will be in Washington before you get anything done.”
I grinned and looked for the twinkle in his eye, but there wasn’t any. He was serious. We were standing in the Irish parliament building, 3,000 miles closer to Germany than the White House. He was completely unconscious of the irony in his remark.
So I don’t know. Ireland’s attitude on the war – if you leave out their feelings against the British, which they insist on your doing – is really too complicated to grasp.
Ireland’s position seems to me much like our own position in British eyes before Pearl Harbor – we were on their side, but we wouldn’t fight.
There is no question in my mind that Ireland is whole-hog on the side of the United Nations. People say there are lots of Germans in Ireland, and that may be true, but you can’t make me believe there is any serious pro-German sentiment in Ireland.
Everybody you talk to leans toward an Allied victory. They say frankly that our side is fighting for the ideals that they agree with. Often you hear Irishmen unconsciously use the word “we” when referring to the United Nations.
The Irish are frequently contemptuous of British methods, and even of British courage, but they certainly prefer a British victory over a German victory.
In the last war, Ireland had 365,000 troops with the British. They were all voluntary enlistments, as Britain was never able to put conscription on the Irish. In the last war Ireland’s casualties were greater than Belgium’s.
So far in this war, about 150,000 Irishmen are serving with the British. They also are volunteers. Eire’s populations is 3,000,000. This means that, proportionate to population, Eire has more men fighting with the Allies than we have. I just throw that in to make the whole matter completely incomprehensible.
An Irish official said to me: “Nobody is more aware of our vulnerability than we are. We are wide open, and we know it.
“Nobody has ever questioned the Irishman’s willingness to fight, nor his willingness to defend Ireland. But the point is, we want to do it ourselves. We don’t want British soldiers to come and defend us; we want arms and we’ll do our own fighting.
“Eire isn’t asking for lend-lease stuff. I doubt that Ireland would accept lend-lease. We want to buy the material to make this island impregnable, and we’re under no illusions about the terrific amount it would take. But the United Nations have sold us almost nothing. We can only thank God the attack has not come.”
And he concluded: “If we were to enter the war right now, we’d immediately become a liability to you. We would have to be defended; we would have to be supplied. For a long time we would be just a stone around your necks.”