Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-09-09
Pleads For Elevation of Private
Family and Public
Life.
What Ireland Did For Germany
In Early Christian
Era.
HIGH IDEAL FOR BOTH RACES

Probably the largest gathering o.
Germans ever assembled in one place
in Kentucky was that which poured
into Newport last Sunday for the
celebration of German day." There
were fully 10000 people present
and when Hon. Edward j. McDer
mott, candidate for Lieutenant Gov
ernor, arose to speak on the
Germans and the Irish he was
greeted by an outburst of applause
lasting several minutes. Mr.. Nc.
Dermott spoke in both German and
English and said in part:
''As l was just saying in the Ger.
man part of my speech, my father
was an ardent son of Ireland who
settled in Louisville in 1893, and my
mother was a Kentuckian. By her ]
was sent in my chlldhooc to a Ger.
man Catholic school that / might
learn the German tongue. Years
afterward, when l had finished my
studies at the High School here,
studied at the Queens College in
Ireland and at the University OF
learned to admire and love both ma
tions. To the superficial observer
they are widely different, but in es-
sentials they have much IN common
and, in America, they ought to be
fast friends. England's dread of
American influence and German
power has done much In late years
to hasten the dawn of nome rule in
Ireland. The secret and open efforts
that have been made of late to make
England and America allies and to
prejudice Americans against Ger
many have been due to the strong
rivalry that is being developed of
late between England and Germany
In foreign commerce and in naval
strength. AS the English navy for
long time has been stronger than
the navies of any two powers of
Europe, but is being slowly over
taken by the German navy, England
lately proposed limitation upon the
the building of new ships. When she
failed in that effort she eagerly
sought to promote international arbi-
trations, because the burden of naval
construction has become almost un-
bearable. America has no immediate
concern in these European rivalries
or quarrels and we ought to main
tain a fair and impartial attitude
toward all the nations of Europe. In
that wish the Germans and Irish
can agree.
"In the early ages of the Christian
era the Germans were free and brave
and passionately fond Of personal
independence. but as their different
tribes were often at war with each
other, they were at times subdued
by the Romans and later by the
hordes of barbarians from the East.
The Irish, in those early ages, were
less exposed to foreign invasion, but
their bold, warlike chiefs kept Ire
land also too much in strife. Slowly
the nation rose in the scale of civili-
cation and, after st. Patrick taught
them the Christian religion, they
earnestly cultivated learning and
from the fifth to the sixth century
and was called "the Island of Saints
and Scholars" Hallam, the great
English historian, says that from the
sixth to the eleventh century "the
most remarkable man" in a literary
and philosophical sense was John
Scotus, an Irishman. While the rest
of Europe was distracted by almost
continuous war, Ireland's monastic
cioisters were thronged by learned
monks and by students from every
civilized land. One hundred and
fifty-five Irish saints were recorded
and venerated in the churches of
Germany and large numbers in other
churches of Europe. Later the
fierce. rowing Danes from the west
ern coast of Europe overran and
pillaged a great part OF Ireland and
internal dissensions completed the
further ruin of her schools and uni
versities and finally, because OF
these internal dissensions, the Eng
lish We're able to ruin and enslave
her. In the Middle Ages the Ger
mans built up the Holy German EN-
pire ad long dominated Europe, but
internal dissensions and foreign con-
quests at last sapped the strength OF
Germany and she lost her power.
The empire was broken up into
petty, discordant States that had 10
submit often TO foreign insults and
inyasions until the genius of Bis
marck and Won Moltke once more
welded the nation into a united EN-
pire The dawn of a brighter day
is now breaking upon Ireland and
her aspirations for self-government,
II not for absolute freedom, will
soon be gratified."
After paying tribute TO the virtues,
spirit, literature and bravery OF the
Germans. Mr.. McDermott concluded
Something OF this German spirit
we must foster in America today. We
must strive TO create and preserve
higher standards. The purity oil
family life. the sanctity of marriage
the rights and duties OF parents, the
need OF elementary education FOL
the many and the higher learning oi