The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-02-05

long commune 10 De Lne pest organized
industrial unit. The world has never
seen such mobilization of the energies
and genius Of great state and the
interests of Ireland are clearly linked
with the states and civilizations
which are passing England as world
powers; they are the United States
and Germany" The author devotes
100 pages to Irish agricultural pros
poets, scientific farming, the difference
in German and Irish methods, land
bank, cooperative farming, waste and
loss in Irish cattle, meat and provi-
sion industry under English control,
reclamation, forestation, coal, peat,
cement, water power, electricity, fish
cries, makes truly marvellous show.
ing of neglected resources and oppor-
tunities, contrasts each one with pre-
vailing German conditions, reviews
German and Irish financial methods
and sets forth the English blunders
and failures in Ireland as compared
with Teutonic progress in the various
German states and concludes by say
ing:
Saving Belgium.
I'VE must not become discouraged
over the apparent abject, supine and
helpless condition of the people of
Ireland. The heart of the people is
sound and beats true. They have no
sources Of information beyond the
medium of the official censored press
bureau: the island, from end to end,
lives under the Defense of the Realm
Act, which for all practical purposes,
is martial law. They read no printed
word or hear no spoken word save
the false notes which aim to convince
the Irish race that the Germans are
like the ruthless Huns and barbarians,
who will not hesitate to kill their
women and children. The leaders who
have betrayed the land for offices,
honors, munition orders, war billets,
social, legal or business advancement
have one false but effective cry, for
they never tire of ringing the changes
on the appeal to the poor people to
go off to the Dardanelles, to Flanders,
to the Balkans to suffer and die in
order that Catholic Ireland shall be re-
venged on Germany for the destruc-
ton of Catholic Belgium. That such
red herring could be successfully
dragged across the trail of Irish
Nationality is sad commentary on
the low spirit, benumbed senses and
lack of reasoning powers of sections
of the race, only the inevitable result
of several centuries of suffering and
oppression.
What earthly practical interest have
the Irish in saving Belgium or Serbia
when they cannot save themselves
and put Ireland ON the map of small
nations Are they still SO blind as
not to recognize the death of both
Belgium and Serbia, whatever the
outcome of the war? The surrender
Of Antwerp exposed the hand OF Eng
land. which had only sent a few thou
sand men to the relief of Belgium.
basely deserving the brave little army.
by failure of a supporting army. in her
hour of agony. after forcing her by
threats to resist Germany. The world
sees the Serbian armies destroyed
and this small nation ruined despite
the British promises of assistance.
which were not fulfilled. We see
Greece invaded and her cities threat
ened with bombardment because she
insists on being neutral. The REM
much concerned over the fate of
Greece at the hands of England, and
of Persia under Russia, as to worry
over the state of Belgium or Serbia
The Irish people should think more of
their own possibly wretched fate after
the war. The British Empire is sim
ply made up of confederation Of
states and territories conquered by
England and the strangest delusion is
the absurd fetish that she is the sa-
vior of small nations. The Immediate
fate of Belgium. Serbia. Macedonia
and Persia at this hour ought to force
the binders off Irish eyes.
The author has shown there can
be no hope for an industrial Ireland
under the domination of England. The
defeat and consequent exhaustion of
the British Empire may be followed
by its disintegration. Such result is
not impossible in the light of history,
herein Is found the roll of world
powers extinguished by internal dis.
eases and external foes. The war be.
tween England and France enabled
America to discover q George Wash.
ington to nberate the colonists from
the thralldom of English rule. The
eternal sentinels of liberty guarded
the peaks of little Switzerland while
her children took advantage of. the
warning nations surrounding her to
bring freedom to her valleys and