The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-05-31
war between the two nations"
British Xiolation of thu Rulaa of w

war between the two nations"
British Violation of the Rules Of War.
When our British cousins come
across the seas next year it will be
proper also to call their attention to
the brutal violation of all the rules
of civilized warfare. on the part of
the distinguished officers of the Eng
lish army, who led their troops into
Washington in August, 1914. Acting
on the formal instructions given them
by their commanding officers the
British soldiers set fire to the Ma
ton Capitol and destroyed the Con-
gressional Library, which at that
time was housed in that building. The
official residence of the president of
the United States, and the Treasury
Department were also given to the
flames and total in value of over
100000 of non-military property
was ruthlessly destroyed. In the
dreary annals of modern warfare there
is recorded no such act o. vandalism
and cowardice.
What Roosevelt Says About the
English Soldier.
The way in which Great Britain
propriety be discussed in detail before
an audience like this. 1t is illustrated
by the following extract from a de-
scription of the Battle of New Or
leans penned by an American histor-
ian, soldier and statesman:
by midnight Jackson had risen and
was getting everything in readiness
| to hurl back the blow that he rightly
judged was soon to fall on his front
Before the dawn broke his soldiery
was all on the alert. The bronzed
! and brawny sea-men were grouped in
clusters around the great guns. The
Creole soldiers came of race whose
habit it has ever been to take all
phases of life joyously: but that
morning their gayety was tempered
by a dark undercurrent of fierce anx.
iety. They had more at stake thar
any other men on the field. The.
were fighting for their homes; they
were fighting for their wives anG
daughters. They we'll knew that the
4 To
brave in battle and very cruel in vic.
tory; they we'll knew the fell destruc.
| ton and nameless woe that awaited
their city should the English take il
at the swords point. They feared no.
| for themselves; but in the hearts oil
the bravest and most careless there
lurked a dull terror of what that day
might bring upon those they loved
The Tennesseans We're troubled by M
such mtsgivings. In saturnine, con.
| fident silence they lolled behind theil
mud walls, or leaning on their Ions
rifles. peered out into the gray fof
with savage, reckless eyes. So, houl
after Nour, the two armies, stood fac
ing each other. In the darkness, wait.
ing for the light OF day."
The Program Is illogical.
The joint character of the proposed
celebration Is not only unwise. but i
is illogical because the Treaty o
Client is about the only importan
treaty of the world concluding a wal
which settles no principle in contro
versy between the contending parties
and which ignores the disputed ques
, tons which caused the war. The wa
of 1912 was brought on by the intol
cradle position Of Great Britain OF
two subjects, the right of impress
ment' and the right of search" Sh
claimed that British citizenship coult
never be lost except by her consent
Once Il Briton always Briton. Sh
States that British subject coul,
renounce his allegiance to the British
sovereign and by complying with ou
laws become an American citizen
with the same rights and entitled t,
the same protection as If born OF
American soil. The right of search
grew out of this claim and Grea
Britain contended that she was lie
sally Justified in stopping vessels o
the United States on the high sea
and searching them for the purpos
of forcibly capturing and impressinl
into the British service any sailo
who might by a British officer be de
clared to be Briton. The right o
search" also included in the British
mind the right of overhauling an,
searching all neutral vessels for tn
property and persons OF her enemies
The American opposition to thes
claims was expressed In the mott
Free trade and sailors rights" fire.