The Irish standard., 1914-08-22
EUROPEAN CRISIS
DOMINATES POLITICS
War has absorbed interest of war
ring factions i'll Ireland
says 7. P. O'Connor
Englands naval policy has returned
many to public favor who were
thought extravagant.


thought extravagant.
Irish Generals will undertake or
ganization of Volunteers and
placing them on war
basis.
London seems to pursue its way with
all the appearance of quite normal
conditions.
Theaters and music halls have big|
audiences nightly. Finance is grad
ually recovering from the shock Of the'
breakdown of the International credit
system and Lloyd George gives prompt
assent to every new suggestion toI
meet every possible emergency. 1t is
indeed one of the curious byproducts|
OF this crisis that the credit of the
whole liberal ministry stands higher
than ever, largely because every
minister seemed to have accurately
anticipated the demands which war
would make upon his department, and
so took the most practical and prompt
est means to meet it.
Men who disliked the name of Lloyd
George now lead in his praise, while
Winston Churchill is a popular hero
in whose genius for war everybody
believes. The navy has not yet del
stroyed, as Englishmen hoped, any
large German vessel, and it seems
possible the German fleet, locking
itself in the Kiel canal and other inn
pregnable spots, may remain intact; !;
but, on the other hand, everybody
feels intensely convinced Of the over
whelming advantage of England's
navy and is delighted with the extra
ordinary demopstratton of the supreme
factor which a sea power must be in
war 49, '''''''' @
Englaud's fleet has practically
swept from the seas all its enemies
and has kept open the great trade
routes all over the world, to render
securer England's supply Of food and
raw material. Such announcements
as that the Atlantic is now free for
passengers and for goods and that
Denmark can continue to send its dai.
ly supply of eggs, butter and meat to
England's markets make the humblest
and poorest home realize the unbrok.
en- and unbreakable security which
the English feet brings to England
the tremendous advantage Britain en-
joys as q belligerent and the final
turn Of European balance which its
participation in any European war
must give.
This vindication of the supremacy
and the decisive influence of the feet
is made more conspicuous by the con.
trasted spectacle of Germany with its
navy sealed up. its foreign trade de.
stroyed and it's food supply cut off.
Thus the absolute confidence with
which England stated that in this wal
Germany must be ultimately, al
though slowly, beaten, is increased
tenfold until nobody is left with any
misgiving.
Meantime also, the passionate con
viction that England's cause is just
and for civilization and free institu'
tions against militarist Prussian dom
ination, runs through all ranks and
has transformed the most peace-loving
radical into something like the fierce
jingo. So far as active naval opera
tions are concerned, there is slight
disappointment at the escape of Ger
man ships from destruction but this is
mitigated by the success in destroy
ing one German submarine and beat.
ing off the rest.
Sir Percy Scott's .denunciations
some weeks ago of dreadnoughts and
the strong belief in the size and effec.
tiveness of the German flotilla have
concentrated interest and anxiety on
this section of naval warfare, and this
first and brilliant achievement of the
British feet against the German sub.
marines thus is very welcome indi'
cation.
There is an immense rise in English
Temperature and the boundless and
united enthusiasm for war confronts
one everywhere. Recruiting goes on
with such rapidity and zeal that
Kitchener will be able to create a
second third or even a fourth army.
in case the struggle is prolonged.
Similarly everybody is pouring in
munificent subscriptions and organi-
cations are springing up everywhere
for the relief of the distressed and
unemployed. The state which allowed
Lancashire to starve for four years
during your civil war without raising
a finger to assist it, now stands be-
hind these organizations to direct and
coordinate them and IL need should
come, to supplement by state aid what