1 11, Grosvenor Place,
Rathmines. 27-II.-16. My Dear Father, Your Letter and enclosure reached me duly. I think this
medium is much safer and more satisfactory than any of those you
suggested, who might not be sufficiently sympathetic. Many
thanks for the enclosure: I note what you say re rent. The snowy weather continues; I am sure you are feeling it even
worse in the north, where it is usually colder. Owen has got a
little cold, but otherwise we are well. I hope you are all well in
Belfast. I imagine the IRISH CITIZEN will pull through all right; now
that all papers are cut down, it s reduction will not seem to matter
so much. Considering all the circumstances, it is astonishing that
it has managed to keep on so long as it has. If it can keep on
till the end of the war, it will speedily recover. Registering American letters would only call down on them the
attention of the special censors! But there are other methods,—
effective but slow— which I am using at present. Did you see
Chesterton's article, in the Illustrated London News of Feb. 26th,
about my Century article? This attack on verdun is an amazing thing, —attacking the
strongest point of the whole line instead of the weakest! Of course
the calculation is that if this strong point is taken, the whole line
will crumple up. I fancy the fall of verdun, if it takes place,
will strengthen the Allies' knowledge that they cannot beat Germany
on land. Politically the most interesting thing here is the Anti-Taxation 2 Meeting arranged for next Tuesday. At present politics have gone
back to the pre-Davitt days,— a Constitutional movement which is
sunk in Whiggery and useless, while all the real Nationalism of the
country is diverted into the physical force movement. That is a
dangerous position; the Taxation question seems to offer the best
prospect of creating a new, militant, aggresive, movement not com—
mitted to physical force.