The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-03-13
THE ireland OF TODAY
Rev Father Kleen of International Falls Discusses the
Position of Ireland and the Opportunity Presented by Present
European Conflict Advance of Liberty

European Conflict to Advan
o, England, blind in thy ruthless
greed!
Like dragons teeth" is our banished
seed.
Wherever an Irish foot has trod,
A cry has gone up to the ear Of God,
To hasten the day that will surely
Aye, sure as the ruin of Pagan Rome
When thy crime-built Babylon's wealth
and power
Shall be crushed and rent in one
vengeful hour!
Nation 1861.
For centuries it was not even
dreamed of but today 'tis strangely
true that the intelligent student Of
Irish destiny has turned his hopeful
eyes, dimmed with tears, from West
minister with its phantom Home Rule
bill to the immortal Unter den Lin
den, and the illustrious palace of the
Hapsburgs on the Danube. And we
may fervently exclaim 20, Providence,
how inscrutable are thy ways" with
fearful eyes," say, for now, alas! I
can affirm before the tribunal of the
world that the Irish Leader and his
Home Rule party were continually in
the pay of the English secret service
the Lord knows how many years.
was, of course, 10th to think it
even when, at the beginning of the
war, the great Judas Iscariot of Ireland
arose amid the lingo din of British
peers and Commoners and pledged
the blood of his country to the credit
of Albion's lust for power and pelf-
the sacred blood of the living and the
dead, of the martyrs and patriots, shed
in torrents through the centuries on
the field, the fame, the cloister, the
homes Of our sires from Brian Born to
Father Murphy at Arklow. History
has never recorded and never again
expect will write upon the annals of
crime parallel line to the notorious
traitorism of the so-called Irish Ma
tional party. So many millions of
hopes dashed to fragments on the days
memorable of August, 1914, While
every pulse from the nations heart,
every emotion, every sentiment, every
fervent prayer from the Sons of Erin
all over the world whispered "the
hour of destiny has come. Arise, &C.
quit yourselves like men, and say God
bless the day that compels you to call
on us for help which for the honor Of
our native land with all our heart we
refuse" But underestimated the
lure and power of British gold. Has
it not spoken far beyond the rim OF
the fair shores of Erin? Its clink is
heard and needed in Spain, Portugal
Italy, Roumania, Russia, as far as the
Yellow Sea, Japan, and it family
tingles round the shrines of Lincoln
and Washington until it awoke from
the dead the mighty shades of 1776
and 1872.
1t is true we all underestimated the
oily currency of the English lion; even
to an extent did Germany whose Sc
cret service Is first of firsts in intelli
gence. So that, as one writer put it
she opened her eyes and stared like
Psyche to find scarcely a friend in
sentiment among the nations of the
earth. can enemy hath done this
Behold what Britain has been attempt
ing as last resource in Ireland! In
Ireland, as stated, the political repre-
sentatives of the national cause are
now partly in khaki for the honor oi
violated treaties" and wholly pictur
ing to the mere Irish" the atrocities
of Belgium and the ruin of a few
church buildings probably fired upor
in France. Then there are the strap
hangers of British officialdom in Ire
land-the landlords, their agents, thu
suffers of British plunder, and las
but not least the orange, all of cours,
classed as Irish, screaming loyalty t,
the empire now slowly sinking to he
tomb. To this must be added the mucl
advertised Irishman of the rank an,
file singing the sarcastic doggere
"Tipperary' who has again and agail
proved his low origin, when face t
face with German science and valol
This nondescript idiot is nearly alway
the product of the scum of Irish low
life in the towns and villages. He 1
one who does not want to earn al
honest livelihood, or who Disgrace
his family, or who in fit of intox
cation ends 1t all by taking the king
shilling" and donn!ng the redcoat t
hide his shame. That l know by a.
tual vision. The world asks why ar
the Irish fighting for England? hav
D given my answer. II the real heart q
D Ireland were at the field-which Go
+ forbid-there would be no such dil
}, graceful retreat at Mons. when th
I German cavalry was unable, at fu
J, gallop, to keep pace with the Englis
;. Tommies and ragamul1ln Irish fnfantr