Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-25
EXPOSITION Non POPULAR
Irish DO Not All support Idea and
DubIin show May
Fail.

DUBLIN, Nov. 2.-tSpeCial)-Th Il
Is announced that the king Of England will
visit the Dublin exposition next year and
will II possible, take part in the opening. Il
begins to look as though the entire affair
might prove a disastrous failure from the
financial point Of view. This Is to be regret
ted all the more, inasmuch as just at pres
ent many persons interested in the develop
ment OF the resources Of ireland are doing
all In their power to bring about an in
dustrial revival in ireland.
The truth OF the matter IL that the
Dublin exposition never was in right as
Irish Americans would phrase it. 1t has
never been popular with the Irishmen
themselves. For this a number OF contrib
uting causes might be held directly or in
directly responsible.
Several years ago correspondent wrote
to the Toledo Weekly Blade OF Ohio in
quiring whether during the history of the
great civil war In the United States an
Irish regiment from the north and an
Irish regiment from the south met in the
field Of battle threw down their arms
and refused to fight. The editor Of the
correspondence column evidently could not
find a trace OF anything OF the kind, ana
Yankee like, INDUCED in a little question
respondent as to whether he ever knew an
Irishman to refuse to fight. This question
and answer had quite an extended circula-
ton throughout the Irish weeklies and
raised quite a discussion as to whether,
after all, the Irish were the most militant
of all races. The consensus of the Opin-
ions of the Irish editors was that there
was more truth than poetry in the answer
than in the question.
And just at present there is certainly the
fiercest kind of fight over. the eXposi-
tion. 1t Is possible that this impusive
people will at the last rally around the
Dublin exposition for patriotic reasons, Il
for no other reasons. But II this hanp ms
to be the case 1t VIII be due to no good
management on tine part of the men re-
sponsible for the promotion Of the expo
sition movement. From the start they
appear to have deliberately played into
/ the hands of London capitalists rather
than into the hands Of tie Irish people as
! a people As a result many Of the leading
{ newspapers in Ireland have opposed th'
| exposition in lively fashion and the END
is not yet.
As an indication Of the manner in which
the enterprise is regarded the following Il
an excerpt Of resolution recently
adopted by the Ard-Fheis Of the Gaelit
f, league:
THAT this Ard-Fheis representing tn
various bodies Of the Gaelic league through
| out ireland, reafirms the resolution OF tn
Ard Fheis of 1904. condemning the proposes
| international exhibition as being detri
mental to the struggling Industries OF tn
country and the best interests OF trade Il
ireland.
Similar sentiments are contained in reso
lutions adopted by the Dublin corporation
the Irish parliamentary party, the Dubl
Industrial Development association, tn
general council OF county councils, tn
boards of guardians, and at a great mas
meeting of the citizens of Dublin. /
America it has also been universally con
demned. viz: at mass meeting in 81
Louis, by the United Irish-American 80
cieties OF New York, by the national con
vention of the Ancient order of Hibernian
held in Saratoga, N. Y, last August, q
which convention all assistance was rt
fused, though pleaded for by Rev. p.
, Lally, a special emissary.