mess of mismanagement, confusion, and chaos all of which made Joe ever more irritable, depressed, even despondent. (Much later Joe's sister, Mrs. McGurk, told me that she felt Joe had been seriously ill even then.) Throughout all this time and after his return from Ireland [159] Joe did not see or speak to any other friends, except myself, Bill Carroll, and Jim McGranery. One day, Joe, myself, Bill Carroll, and Bill Barry were at the Bala Club when Joe started a heated argument about Ireland and its complete Freedom. Quietly, but very determined, I questioned some of his ideas and accusations and he then frankly admitted that he was still "smarting" over the very unfair treatment given to him in Ireland by some friends and some so-called friends. He also resented some of those in the Clan who had assumed powers without any Club or membership organisation, just as he was hurt and concerned over the treatment meted out to him after the IRA bombings in England. Joe knew that I disagreed with him over the IRA bombing activities which had taken place in England. I always felt, and said so openly, that this was not justified warfare in any sense as it had caused the death of innocent civilians with whom we had no fight. I often pointed out that I saw no future in such tactics which, while causing certain harassment for the British Government and Scotland Yard, could never make up for the danger and probability of our people being arrested, jailed for years, or even executed. I repeated to him what I had told Sean Russell in Dublin of my £2000 offer previously referred to. Due to the chaotic state of the Clan na Gael and the increasing differences existing and growing between some of the new heads, including Sean Russell, etc., I kept completely away from all the members and only saw Joe. In December 1939 Joe began to have severe spells of vertigo and shortly after the doctors diagnosed his case as incurable cancer. I still fell these doctors made a great mistake in telling Joe about his hopeless condition since it took all will to fight out of him. Confined now to his room and bed, Joe used to talk of the war and of his conviction that John Bull would emerge victorious since England had tremendous resources plus the certain help of America. [160] During our long daily talks, which went on for six months, he also spoke quite often about the disappointing treatment his poems had received in Ireland; that they were badly printed, collated, and arranged. Despite his severe illness he jotted down some lines which showed his bitterness about those who let him down and whom he had befriended so generously and for so many years. Let me inject here that Joe McGarrity was known to many as the famous Irish Freedom Fighter, the prominent Clan na Gael leader, yet, very few knew then and know now that he was a gifted poet in his own right. Since he was so clearly aware of the hopelessness of his condition, I saw no harm in promising him that I would arrange for the republication of his poems. I kept my promise and Devin Adair Publishers of New York brought out a beautiful, little volume. 1940 Early that year I met Father Peter McGarrity (a brother of Joe's) downtown in Philadelphia and he spoke of Joe's hopeless condition. "Yes, Father, you are right", I said, “and isn't it a good thing that he was able to clear off all his debts before he became so very ill?" I got a profound shock when Father Peter told me that neither he nor their sister, Mrs. McGurk, had ever been repaid the loans they had made to Joe. But that, he said, did not trouble him so much; that he was far more worried about the fact there might not be enough money even to bury poor Joe. However, he assured me right away that he and the other relatives, would raise it somehow. I must have dumbfounded Father Peter when I, in turn, assured him that Joe had plenty money left for all necessities after which we both retired to Jim McGranery's law office where I Informed Jim of the apparent oversight on Joe’s part. Joe had made his will by that time so, Jim and I went to see him and talked to him about the monies still due to his brother and sister. Joe had completely forgotten about the loans! Previously, I had gone over the entire [161] financial situation with Joe, mainly because of all the money he had borrowed from several people to buy his seat on the Curb Exchange. He then told me that the only outstanding debts were those to his brother, Father Peter, and to his sister, Mrs. McGurk, and that he would attend to them right away, well, and then it had
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