The Irish standard., 1914-09-12
ireland AND THE
european WAR CRISIS
Absorbing Interest of European
Conflict Overshadows Talk, :.
on Home Rule. >ss.
Government Announces Deternin-
alton to Stick to Program De:
spite Opposition.
Carson Wants Promise Before Vol
unteers go to War. Factions
Active.

=
unteers go to War. Factions
Active.
The war has absorbed almost all
other interests whatever for the time
being. Little else is to read or to
talk about but the mobilization of
the great armies and the chances of
the first encounter between the Ger
mans and the Allies along the Franco
Belgian frontier, for which the fight
ing up to the present has been but
the prelude. Nothing whatever is
allowed to transpire as to the position
of the rival fleets in the North sea,
but the transportation Of the British
army to Belgium shows that the sea
route to the continent is under Brit
ish control, and the presumption Is
that the effective German fleet is bot
tied up in the Baltic for the present.
The general impression is, that the
war will be one of the longest, most
expensive, and most ruinous in which
Great Britain has ever been engaged.
But, as to the final result, there is in
England only one opinion, and that
is that, whatever happens, British
interests will emerge safely from the
struggle. There is no Mafficking, no
outburst of popular enthusiasm, but
q conviction that England is Justly
engaged in the war, along with
quiet but firm determination to see
it through to the end. ..,..
ireland and the War.
That is the feeling in London. In
ireland, home rule counts for more
than the war. There can be little
doubt that popular opinion is on the
side of England and her Allies rather
than on the side Of Germany and
Austria. so far as the intrinsic merits
of the case are concerned. 1t is rec
ognized that German scholarship has
done much for the Irish language,
and that Germany is great and pro-
Rressive nation. But, withal, neither
Germany nor Germans are popular
in ireland. With France. the case is
different, owing to racial affinities
and historical causes. Mr.. Redmond's
speech has been worth half a dozen
armies to England. It has produced
a situation in ireland. and wherever
the Irish race exists. extraordinarily
favorable and friendly to Great Bri-
tain. and it would be an irreparable
blunder If British statesmenship
failed to seize this great opportunity
for a genuine peace and reconcilia-
ton between Ireland and the en-
pire.
The Home Rule Bill.
It has been announced by the Press
Association that they have official
authority for the statement that par
lament, which meets tomorrow
(Aug. 25). will be prorogued on Fri
day next. That means that the Home
Rule bill will be placed upon the
statute book as q matter Of course,
under the provisions of the parlia-
ment act. The Irish people have
been waiting and watching patiently
for months to see the royal assent
given to the bill, and it is only the
simple truth to say that their pa
thence has been strained to the ut
termost during the past few weeks
1mpatience is not confined to ireland
alone. The Daily Chronicle. the
Daily News, and the liberal and labor
press generally have spoken out In
no uncertain terms against the in
Justice. the folly. and the grave dan
ger of arousing the Just resentment
Of the Irish people by postponing the
enactment of the bill. at time when
the empire is engaged in fight for
its very existence.
The Caxsonites and the Crisis.
The state Of feeling in Ireland may
be illustrated by . few examples
Last week. it was recorded that the
Inniskilling Fusiliers were escorted
to the train. on their way to the
front. BY the united Irish and Car
.oua%A vo1un+aers This week. IN
eyewitness Of the departure Of some
rsservists from County Tyrone re-
ports that the Nationalist reservista
sang Irish patriotic songs. whilst the
Carsonites INDUCED In vigorous ours
ing Of the Pope! And the irony Of II
was that the Orange reservfsts were
going to tight for Catholic Belgium
and Catholic France against Pro