New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-13
"IREIAND'S BETRAYERS"
Why q Minority Choose to Sit
Tight" at Present
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

TO the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: a reading OF your editorial on r'
above subjects suggests certain comment
which YOU may 500 iit 20 print, even thougi
they do not coincide with your views W.
Redmonds loudly expressed desire for whole
hearted Irish participation in the war ""
undoubtedly based on line Of reasoning
similar to your own. Il may be supposed .
have run thus: Whatever tho outcome o. ne
war. England is likely 20 be left AZ the e'i
in continued control Of the sea IN pos
ton to dictate Ireland's future, as she hn
controlled her past Hence, the prudent sai
statesmanlike course is 70 support hngar'
regardless of the issues involved, 80 that SO
may have no excuse for resembling ne vsV
slender modcum % self-goyernment "h@
the aborted Home Rule bill contained.
As matter Of diplomacy this policy lehI'
tie 70 be desired, but when 10 came down
individual cases II did not work. Woud yo'
have approved the Belgans, after conose'N
Joining the German army against me All"
in order in invoke the clemency OF tne We
tor when the final settlement should eons
Should the Alsatians have followed ~
course? Germany has lately been talking
giving them an autonomy scarcely less e'I
plete than Irelsnds. Is e IN human fta
and blood TO fight in the armies Of forss'
nation which all your folklore your y.
erature and your history teach you 70 n',
been your countrys chief and sole oppre'"'
Can centuries Of racial hatred be ooli,e''"
By mere promise subsequently wllnisS
of a scanty measure Of tardy iustieeE
lou refer 20 the small enlistment ngoi''
/ nope sincerely that they arc true lap
show that in the decmated and mpoYersh"
people who still inhabit Ireland the old ~.
Of patriotism burn. and that If they l1'
been driven to beggary they cannot be oo.s-.
by bribery or terrorzed by threat ~
figures do not show what percentage o. -
Ulster levies have been drawn upon. w.
late as last November I read IN ns"s.
paper, which shows It's colors By prnuhs
headline in orange. the admission tna' w.
had been unexpected delays 10 ge''iHs
0rangemen 20 the front due. as va,
planned. to lack OF equipment But me ~.-
sters and the Dubins and the CorSs foans"
such difficulty in getting 20 Galipoh
il wonderful that the impression sFe"
loyal Orange enlistment was based on =
l4emen s agreement ina AIANf
tute the home guard? Consider ior
ment how this would have affected 'he -
bellum situation. Had the Nationals -.
enlisted and gone 20 the front ana oeen =,
the post OF honor. which they nearly -.
got, there would have been far ie"et
test the issue with the loyal Or"nsv -
guard after the war II a Liberal -
government before the war could DC
By Carson out OF doing an act o. pSr'',' -
titution. what position would lnlohs, -.
eminent take after the war? Better ioi -,
men. If they must lose their lives -,
them for Ireland, and in Ireland. tn"h
victims Of laundering British butcher!
In all the long relations Of the TWO
tries England has done nothing ior 60.
from sense OF justice. The same NV d,
that prompted her TO offer the apoios, O.,
Home Rule which she calls lions -
bill will be operative after the war SO
be more effective the more lNins "'
there are 10 insist upon them. IA,
IL the men who are urging lrishneh nm
out of the war are her betrayers, then 80.
and ODonnell, Emmett and Parnel were u,n
ors TO their country's cause. II HOES A
Is 10 be won only by the conversion " ~
Irish people to British ideals. better 'n.' -
should struggle yet a little longer ~
has done for centuries than that ere - .,.
sell her soul for pinchbeck indepen'o.sa
which would signify that she had ~ 80 ~
given up the struggle FOR her own idess -.
had adopted in their stead policy "
portunist hypocrisy. ,,uA
BRENDAN J.. xVxhsS
New York, Feb 81. 1o1&