Reviitr of Revieus, lj9IOti. 



Character Sketch. 



-5U 



tinn .It a, time when it was not by any means so 

 hollow as it is to-day. 



I liad written to Davitt asking him for his sup- 

 port in the popular agitation in support of the Tsar's 

 ■ Rescript. He replied saying that war against war 

 when conducte'l liy Englishmen was little better than 

 an organised hypocrisy. " England is to-day and 

 has been during the last five years the most war- 

 provoking of all civilised nations." — .Alas ! she \ye- 

 came worse than ever in the subsequent five years ! 

 " As for the ruinous expenditure on armaments,'' 

 Davitt went on. " British expenditure even then — 

 and it has nearly douliled since then — is nearly 

 sixty i^er cent, more than the average outlay of the 

 Powers whose armaments you so much deplore." 

 He then suggested that we should adopt the follow- 

 ing resolution at all peace meetings to be held in 

 England : — 



"Besolved that this mass meeting of tlie working classes 

 of extends a Iiearty greeting to tlie Peace proposals 



111 tlie Tsar of Dussia, and declares itself in favour of the 

 humane and enlightened policy of disarmanieni among 

 the great t'owers which the Emperor's proposals embody; 



■ Tliat we call upon Her Majesty's Crovernment to lead 

 the way in this Crusade against. War and its horrors by 

 stopping all the hostilities against the lielpiess coloured 

 races of the continent of Africa now being directed by 

 Hritish forces; 



"That in order to offer to Kuropean natiotis a signal 

 liroof of British sincerity in tins peaceful War against 

 brutal War. we hereliy demand a redu<-tion ol tlie annual 

 extiendittire on tiie Army and Nliv,\' in the coming Budget, 

 which shall make the outlay on tliese charges in future 

 correspond with tliat of the avera;;e annual expenditure on 

 similar charges of Russia. France, Crermauy. Austria-Hun- 

 gary and Italy; 



" .\nd that the balance (£16.000.000) between that average 

 expenditure i £30.000.000) and the sum i£48. 000.000) voted by 

 Parliiiment for naval and military purposes he set apa.rt 

 every .\e;ir for ;i Sti\te fund, out of which to provide Old- 

 A2:e Pensions for tlie workers of Great Britain ;)1k1 Ireland." 

 Such a resolution would, in my humble judgment, if 

 acted upon, prove to Europe that your Crusade for Dis- 

 ;irmaments and Peace was :v sincere ;ind honest move- 

 ment. It would also receive ;v double welcome from the 

 working-classes of the three countries, inasmuch as it 

 would promote the interests of Peace, .and liltewise secure 

 them in their old age against the i>enalty of poverty and 

 the social degradation of the workiiouse. 



That was Davitt all over. 



\V, T. Stead. 



I'hotograph bi/2 The Funeral of Mr. Michael Davitt passing through Dublin for Mayo. [C/iawa'/i.n, 



Hr. Dnvitt's remains were t.ikeii from Dublin to the cliurchyard of Str.iiiii', Co. May.i, where Ihi-y were inl erred in accordance 



with the wish cxja-psi^cd iti his will. Crowds tiirnerl out at all points. 



