New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-01-16
Ireland and Consumption.

lECtdIlO dItd SOilctA if'NiC'"
ST. Edward Carson apprehends that
when the war 70 over his cOuntrymen Will
remember with shame that they suffered
others 10 make sacrifices in which they
stipulated that they should have no share.
He declares himself profoundly disap-
pointed" at the manner in which Ireland
has been dealt with in the compulsion bill
now before the British Parliament and
there are probably many Irishmen who
will partake Of his disappointment Yet It
may well be doubted whether in any other
way IL would have been possible TO over
come the opposition Of the Nationalist. If
Ny Redmond dared, as his old opponent
suggests. 20 back bill applying compuI-
sion 20 Ireland the infallible result would
lie new schism in his party. Without re-
gard. therefore, TO his own sentiments, the
course he has chosen is in all probability
the most prudent.
Ii is necessary 10 recognize that even
as matters stand there are not few OF MI
RedmonNs former followers who regard
him to-day as little better than traitor.
lie himself knows as well as Sir Edward
Carson that the issue of the war is Of as
much moment to Ireland as TO England,
but a great many Of his countrymen are
incapable of considering it in its larger
aspects. The one thing they see is that
thew are asked 10 fight on the side Of Eng
land. and with the memory Of the wrongs
tlev suffered in the past they cannot bring
themselves 10 understand the justice or
this demand.
II is doubtless true, as Sir Edward Car
SON intimates. that recruiting IN Ireland
has not been so splendid as people were led
90 suppose. but the wonder really IS
that the old prejudices have been so
LARGELY overcome In spite of the active and
uninterrupted efforts Of the wretched type
of aritato~s with which we are so familiar
~ this country. Mr.. Birrell put the case
we'll in MS speech on Tuesday night. II
before the war" he said, ANY one had
.ol5 me that ireland would do what she
has already done ! would have stared at
him in wild surprise and whispered, You
don't know what you are talking about.
Look back q few years and consider the
efforts that we're made 70 spread dlsaffec-
ton throughout the kingdom. Consider
the scene in the House Of Commons when
during the Boer war news Of a British dis
aster was received with loud laughter and
shouts of delight from the Nationalist
benches. Or consider the anti-recruitlng
campaign deliberately carried on for years
ing "the Saxon shilling" and joining Eng
lands hireling murderers that pitchcapped
and hanged your forefathers in '98, and
would do the same with you tomorrow
IT Is not very many years since one Of Mr.
Redrnond's own colleagues declared che
would not say shame TO the Irishmen who
belonged 10 British regiments, because he
rad homes that before they lined up against
the Beers they would remember they were
Irishmen. end that instead Of firing on the
Beers they would fire on the Engishmen.'
And this kind of agitation was kept UP
afterwarl iu Ireland, so that in ten years
the number Of Irish soldiers in the British
army had fallen by one-third.
In view Of all this, in view, too, Of the
conditions that prevailed In Ireland Just
before the present war began, Mr. Birrel
is surely justified in saying that Ireland
has done amazingly we'll" But it is GER
tain that any attempt ct coercion would
be regarded by considerable part of the
population as a renewal Of tyranny. The
result would be break in the party, and
this Mr.. Redmond by singular tact has
hitherto fortunately provided against To
such Irishmen as Sir Edward Carson the
exclusion Of Ireland from the provisions Of
the act is. Of course. humiliating. But it
is a condition which was undoubtedly un-
avoidsble In the circumstances and the
only one to insure the support Of the bill
by the Nationalist.