The Irish standard., 1915-03-20

don't think it is likely to get to the
neighborhood of Berlin again. There
is a man named Hindenburg over
there who will have something to say
about that.
1 haven't word to say against Rus
STA. haven't a word to say against
France. 1 wore the French uniform
once, marched under the tricolor to
the sound of French music, and don't
want to see any more harm come to
France than she deserves for having
made the mistake of trusting England.
don't think the Germans are going to
be too hard on her. But that the Ger.
mans will have the decision as to what
will be done I am as convinced as
am that / am standing here on this
platform tonight The German mill
tary machine has made good, the Ger
man nation, all ranks, all parties and
all classes of it have made good Even
the pro-British Evening Post in an
editorial yesterday admitted that it is
not the German army alone that has
been modified, but that the whole
German people are modified and are
working as efficiently and with the
same coordination as the magnificent
Germany army is working.
The hope of all allied victory was
based on Russia Russia has failed.
There are more than five hundred
thousand Russian prisoners in Ger
many today. A great many of those
prisoners came over voluntarily, as
you will see if you read the New York
Times of today. Among these prison
ers there must be at least hundred
thousand Poles, and after Hindenburg
takes Warsaw, as he will take it, you
need not be surprised to hear that the
independence of Poland is proclaimed,
and then you will find that the Poles
will be fighting on the side of Poland,
and for the moment that side will be
the German side. A German victory
in the East, even if they do no more
than remain on the ground now occu.
pied, will release at least half mill
lion veterans for service in the West,
and when they get there-well, may
God help Kitcheners new army.
There are not so very many English
prisoners, but among them are at least
1000 Irishmen, and don't be a bit sur
prised if you find that three-fourths of
the Irish prisoners have gone into an
Irish Brigade, which later will be
swelled to a division, to be the van
guard of the army of invasion of Eng
land. With the ebbing of the "tidal
wave" in the East and the capture of
the channel ports of France, England g
supremacy of the seas won't count for
so very much in the narrow straits.
And with the possession of Dunkirk,
Calais, Dieppe and Boulogne the prob.
lem of sending an army across the mar
row strait would not be one too diff
cult for the German military machine
to solve.
England was never yet invaded, but
she was conques3d.S The only English
army that was worth anything was
the one-about $4,000 men-that she
has already sent to the front, and most
of that is now used up. The men of
the new army are not half drilled |;
they have not one-tenth the number of
trained officers that that number of
men ought to have, and they have
practically no trained non-commission.
ed officers. Even with the best rifles
guns and equipment they are not fit to
face any Continental army, much less
the superb German army.
A German victory is bound to be the
result of the war. A German victory
means the disruption and destruction
of the British Empire. Now, in pro
portion as England was strong, accord
ing as she succeeded abroad she press
ed with all the greater weight upon
Ireland, refused Ireland's demands, de
clined to listen to her complaints
When England is weak and in danger
she is always willing to listen 10 Irish
grievances. Ireland's interests are
therefore, against the interests of Eng
land. The destruction Of the British
Empire would be blessing to Ireland
and if the Irish race, If even an ap
preciable part of the Irish race, rises
to the level of the occasion, if they
make proper effort, effect proper
organization and apply to the effort
the political qualities in which the
race is SO prolific-even if one million
of them do that-the problem will be
solved, because with that for a
nucleus the whole race will be swept
into line. And with the resources
financial, moral and intellectual-at
the command OF the race the problem
of freeing Ireland from beaten
Inundated and broken England will
not be one beyond their capacity and
their power.
In every town and city of the United
States, from the Atlantic to the Pa
cific, beginning last Tuesday and end
ing next Sunday, when the Emmett
celebration in Buffalo will be address
ed by Kuno Meyer, the great German
Celtic scholar tho word will go forth