New-York tribune., 1914-10-27
A PLEA TO IRISHMEN
Why Britain Is Entitled to Loyal Sup
port in the Present Hour.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: May | remind those Irish
friends who appear to remember moth
ing but the inhumanity and eXtortlon
from which Ireland has suffered OF one
or two facts?
For several decades English, Irish,
Welsh and Scottish democrats have
stood together for Home Rule and
have fought side by side under the
banner "The Land for the People
For all that time, to go no further
back, an ever increasing vote has been
given by the Liberals, Radicals and
Labor representatives for the return
of men TO the British Parliament
pledged to recOnstitute an Irish Par
lament; that thousands of English
men, Scotsmen and Welsh stood with
Parnell, Davitt and other Irish patriots
in the demand Justice for Ireland"
when Irishmen and their British sup
porters were liable to Imprisonment for
Conspiracy; that unity, not division,
has now secured admission of the
righteousness of Ireland's demands;
that the present British government
has courageously respected its prom
ises and adhered to its principles, risk
ing the awful menace of civil war;
and, having drawn the teeth and cut
the claws of the chief antagonists of
Irish f-government, it has forced
through Parliament a Home Rule bill
which, Notwithstanding its imperfec-
tions, lays a foundation upon which
Ireland can build firmly for the future;
that Irish people living in Ireland,
who can best judge of England's sin
cerity, have sent many thousands of
their brave lads to fight side by side
with sons of England. Scotland and
Wales against the empires enemies;
that the Munster Fusiliers, the famous
Connaught Rangers, the splendid Irish
Guards and many other Irish regi-
ments fill columns of the casualty lists
of the war; that this terrible slaugh-
ter is in considerable part due to a
belief among German militarists that
Britain was divided and unable TO full
fill her pledges to Belgium or the obli-
cations of honor to France; that
France, now attacked, has always shell
tered and befriended Irish patriots
when forced to seek an asylum in exile;
that to forget and to forgive, in face
of sincere repentance and amendment,
is one of the teachings of the Divine
Sufferer of Gethsemane's garden of
sorrow.
And, finally, that now, at any rate, is
rot the wise time, the right time, to
weaken Great Britain and ireland. or
to refuse to recognize the right spirit
OF the present, reverting always TO the
evil deeds of past generations
| have seen the horrors of the evic-
tions and have felt the bitterness
enter into nv very soul. ] have stood
by the good priest of Gweedore in
London while he asked and got the
support Of great British audiences for
his denuncation of bloodshed in his
little West Donegal home. have stood
also by Michael Dayitt's side in Hyde
Park demanding justice for Irish
patriots then in jail. | put Home Rule
in front of nv address to the British
electors of Holborn Division. And
every political organization to which !
have belonged or do now belong has
worked hard for Ireland and her peo-
pie.
All of which I mention only to
strengthen my appeal to Irishmen and
men of Irish descent TO forget, or at
any rate 10 forgive, the past, and to
do nothing TO discourage the sons OF
Great Britain and Ireland who are
giving their lives for great principles
in the present struggle
GEORGE BATEMAN.
New York, Oct. %, 1914.