Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-08-08
Original Home Rule Bill Will Be
Placed on the Statute
Book.
The Dublin Outrage Has Wiped
Civrl War Off the
Slate.
MARTYRS FOR IRISH LIBERTY

Reviewing the home rule situation
and the threatened European war,
Hon. T. p. O'Connor, M. P, cabled
Saturday that. hope and despair
oscillated every moment during the
last few days, every hour indeed
bringing a different temper. Great
Britain for the first time in more
than half a century finds itself
entangled in continental complica-
tions and has to face war as almost
a certainty. Opinion is not alto
gether united. Many radicals are
dead against England's participation
and the Manchester Guardian, the
most powerful organ of advanced
Liberalism outside of London, al
ready thunders against war, while
some groups of members of Parlia-
ment always in opposition to Sir
Edward Grey's policy have begun to
hold anti-war meetings. There is
also some doubt as to the exact
dimension of England's engagements
with France and Russia, and several
pronouncements of Asquith in pre-
vious phases of this controversy are
quoted, which emphatically denied
any treaty with France promising
participation in 4 continental war.
On the other hand, it is avowed that
England has given sufficient en-
couragement to French hopes and
French self-confidence to expose her
to bitter reproach II she did not
come to the assistance of France
against Germany.
The most threatening feature in
the situation is Russia's apparent de-
sire to force war, as the present
hour is the most convenient for her
and the most inconvenient for her
enemies. To mako confusion worse
confounded, Austria's threat to tear
up the treaty Of Bucharest may bring
into the hideous welter of European
war Greece, Roumania and perhaps
Bulgaria and Turkey. This tremen-
dous cataclysm dwarfs the Irish
question and puts an end now and
forever to listers threats of civil
war. Thus the week, which began
most threateningly for home rule,
ends favorably. Though no Irishman
wishes to purchase an early settle
ment of home rule, especially as it is
now inevitable, by European war,
yet near European complications un-
doubtedly bring home rule nearer
and more certainly.
When news of the shocking out
rage in Dublin reached the Irish
leaders for the first time Sunday
night last they were alarmed by the
prospect of home rule being i'm
periled by this sudden and hideous
complication. The evaporation of
all Ireland against the conduct of the
Government officials might have
forced the Irish party into such an
open and violent opposition to the
Ministry as to have wrecked the
home rule bill, and the fact that
Asquith would propose further con-
cession to Ulster in the modification
of the time limit brought the Irish
party up against Ireland's exasper-
ated determination to stand no
further concessions.
BY a strange, characteristic para
dox of Irish politics the Dublin
outrage brought new, vast i'm
provement in the Irish situation.
First Chief Secretary Birrell was
able to clear himself of all RESPONSE
bility and dismissed the officer re-
sponsible for the whole attempt to
disarm Nationalist volunteers. The
most important lesson, however, was
that every Tory as we'll as every
Liberal had to face armed revolt in
the south of Ireland as in Ulster,
and all parties at last realized what
tragic consequences must follow all
attempts to fight out the Irish ques-
tion any longer on lines of civil war.
In short the Dublin outrage wiped
civil war off the slate, and 1t became
clear even to Orangemen that II any
of their followers were killed in civil
disturbances not a single tear would
be shed over them in England, which
would see in such events only a
natural consequence OF their cam
paign Of rebellion and would con-
slider bloodshed in Ulster as no more
worthy of sympathy than blood
already shed in Dublin.
Thus. though rage and pity still
exist in Dublin, and though the
revelations at the inquest. by proving
that the soldiers fired without
orders. increase popular anger, the
Irish situation has been enormously
cleared. and Englishmen sum mp the
situation by saying that the men and
women killed In Dublin were the
last martyrs for Irish liberty. II Is
now pretty certain that we shall
hear no more OF the amending bill
till the House reassembles again in
December, that meantime the or
iginal home rule bill will be placed
on the statute book. and that. con-
fronted with the fact accomplished,
both the Nationalists and the Orange
men can review the situation more
calmly and more freely and hammer
out In negotiation some settlement
which will be acceptable 70 all sides