The Irish standard., 1913-01-04
Attend Protestant Meeting in
London and Declare in Favor Of
Irish Home Rule.
Resolutions Passed Endorsing the
Bill and Expressing Adherence
of Ulster Tactics.
George Bernard Shaw, the Son Of
Protestant Parents, is Proud of
Being an lrishman.

One OF the most remarkable dom.
onstratiols yet held in connection
Irish Protestant Home Rulers ass
sembled IN the Memorial Hall, FAR
rington street. London, on Friday. 9Th
December. The hall was packed by
a distinguished and representative
audience, and an immense overflow
meeting was held outside. The chair
man was Mr.. Thomas Lough, NJ. F..
Cavan man, and the speakers in-
cluded Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the
great novelist; George Bernard Shaw,
world famous as dramatlst and critic
and much besldes; the Rev. Courtenay
Moore, Of Cork. uncle Of. Mr.. VIM.
Moore. one OF the ULSTER" NJ. P.s;
Mr.. Stephen Gwyn:l, NJ. p. grandson
of VIM. Smith O'Brien, journalist and
author. ana editor Of the Irish Press
Agency: Canon Lilley. from the banks
of the Ulster Blackwater; Mrs. Green.
wife Of the great historian, and herr
self the author of historical worries
which have been NJ inestimable serv-
ice in the present, canlpaign; Capt,
Il,
Irish PARTY, and hundreds Of other
Protestant 1r,sttnerl and lrislwomt.1
distinguished in every walk Of life.
The object OF the meeting was TO pro-
test against the introduction Of the
controversy. The gist Of the speeches
| WAS that Irish Protestants had noth-
| ing to fear from their Catholic roun.
! trylnen. Conan Doyle was Il Union.
list. He said lie had changed his
views because he became convinced
at the beginning. Home Rulo for
Ireland and the welfare Of the empire
ran on parallel lines. The Unioaists
offered no solution. Sir Arthur is a
strong personality and his speech was
eloquent, powerful and convincing.
George Bernard Shaw is no orator.
But he is fluent, ready and resource.
full, and oue of the most attractive
speakers alive. 1t is great pity that
his speech and all the speeches were
not reported In full In the next days
papers. His parents were Irish Pro-
testants, he began, but he had a
Catholic nurse. who sprinkled him
with holy water every night. The
audience could not help laughing.
Shaw turned on them quite fercely.
II cannot" he protested, Imagine
anything less worthy to be laughed
at, or more touching tha, this picture
of an Irish Catholic woman sprinklag
holy water-and you know what holy
water was to heron q little Pro-
underpaid her" He went on to say
that people ascrbed his success to
various causes, but those who ascrib.
ed 1t to his Catholic nurse and tho
holy water had not made the least
shrewd guess Of all. Il am for Homo
Rule without any conditions" he
said ''If we Irishmen want to cut
one another's throats, why should we
not? They are glad enough to get
us to cut the throats Of their ene-
miles, + want no protection against
my Catholic countrymen would
rather be burned at the stake by them
than be protected by Englishmen. We
Irishmen are wanted to teach the
Englishmen common sense" Ireland
was not governed by Englishmen. She
was governed by a handful Of Irish
Protestants in their own interests.
working through English ignorance or
Indifference. He did not want peace
in Ireland. He wanted strife, out or i
which intellectual and material prog.
ress would be evolved. He had made
many different regulations and he
was not so proud of them, as. people
thought. But the proudestS boast Of
his life was that he was an Irishn,an.
shaw's vas a speech to be remem.
bered. The sentences rang out IKE
rifle shots, and every one told. Alto
! gether 1t was q memorable meeting.
mo other cause, could bring together