The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-12-23
AMERICAN SYMPATHY
CHANGING IN FAVOR
OF THE GERMANS

There is no newspaper in Great
Britain which appraises the friendship
4 of the United States quite so highly
or which understands the processes
of public opinion in America quite so
clearly as The Manchester Guardian.
Under the affliction and terror of war
it's Judgment has not become myoplc
as is the case with most of the leaders
of English thought.
When the war broke this was the
flow of American sentiment, as The
Guardian saw it:
Never in the modern world have
government and policy been so blast
ed by the fire of peoples eXecra-
tion as the government and policy OF
Germany were by the whole mind or
the United States when Belgium was
violated and France invaded.
AS the war progressed the convlc-
ton of the American people deepened
that the success of the Entente was
necessary for the perpetuation OF dem
ocratic institutions, for the Integrity
of great nations, for the right OF every
people to work out it's own destiny.
American sympathy, says The Guar
dian, while it abhors the German
cause of world dominion, has visibly
slackened in it's support OF Great Bri-
tain for three reasons: The manner
of conducting the blockade of Ger
many, the British attitude at the eco
nomic conference Of the Allies at
Paris, and the extraordinary stupid
ity" exhibited in the settlement Of
Ireland.
The Guardian is doubtless correct
in it's judgment that the worst blunder
of all is the new Irish policy, of which
it says:
But above and beyond all other in
fiuences working against us in Amer
lea are the record and memory OF the
Irish revolt. When the Cabinet, four
months ago, resisted it's first impulse
toward clemency and restoration 1t
forgot the immense and troublesome
fact OF Irish-America. And for that
lapse in craftsmanship there would
seem to be no hope OF speedy rem
edy.
One of the greatest assets, when
the war broke out, was the cordial
neutrality of the American people,
made possible by the restraint and
the somewhat reluctant sympathy of
the American Irish That we have
sacrificed, and the loss is likely to
color the politics and the behavior of
the United States toward us until the
end of the war or until such time as
complete change can be brought
about in our Irish policy.
We cannot ignore this fact, much
as we may regret it, for the active CO.
operation of the United States is an
essential condition of any such league
of the liberal and pacific powers OF
the world as alone can give us the
assurance of stable peace.
The Guardian does not emphasize
too strongly the amazement and hOr-
ror which stirred America when Great
Britain adopted it's new policy Of
frightfulness towards Ireland. 1t falls
into common error in ascriDing it
wholly to the Irish element in our
lot 10 rof RI ho-
lieve, to the American feeling that
England has not been just
The English, like the Germans, are
prone to consider us not as one peo'
pie, but a congeries Of nationalities
retaining Old World sympathies and
prejudices and therefore always in
conflict among ourselves when the is
sue is international Old World pas
sions do remain, often to the third
generation, but they are not control
ling.
The British government has sacri.
feed American sympathy wholesale
for it's intolerant and inveracious pol
icy towards Ireland The injustice OF
the acts the complacent breach of pol
icy or pledge, the wanton disregard
of rules Of conduct to which England
has boosted it's adherence for centur.
les have astounded Americans. We
had thought better of England. We
had counted upon stubborn adher.
ence to principles, of which the Eng.
lish have been champions. In telling
us our mistake, Great Britain has de.
liberately shaken American confidence
paired.
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