The Irish standard., 1916-03-11
Irish Convention Appeals to
Powers to Free Erin
After War.
After War,

independence of Ireland at the close
of the present war was started yes.
terday at the mass meeting of Irish
Americans held in the Cohan Theatre
The meeting concluded the sessions
of the Irish race convention, and the
truly representative character of the
men who took prominent part in it
was considered adequate answer to
the rather hasty charge recently
brought that the convention was not
authorized to speak for the great body
of Irish-Americans.
Among those who espoused the
cause of Ireland were three justices
OF the Supreme Court, many promi-
nent clergymen Of the Catholic
church, delegates from every part of
the United States, including Alaska,
and the president of the Ancient Or
der of Hibernians. who unqualif1edly
gave his approval to the resolutions
adopted.
Some of the outstanding develop
ments of the days significant session
were:
The world powers, including those
engaged in the war and neutrals like
the United States, were called ON to
take Ireland into consideration when
the terms of peace were being fixed
at the end Of the war and insist that
she be established as a separate and
free nation.
Back of this demand was the idea
that il the nations can be brought to
a realization of lreland's possibilities
for commercial development they will
see that as separate nation she
would be a competitor of England and
curb Britains domination of the seas.
The stand of the Irish people against
conscription and the Irish volunteer
movement which checked Englands
plans for compelling Irishmen to fight
were lauded
1t was openly prophesied that at
the close of the war England would
attempt to imprison all volunteer Of
ficers and stamp out the organization.
1t was predicted that ireland would
then take up the sword for final
and desperate effort for independence
IL the terms of peace did not provide
for lreland's deliverance from Eng
lands rule, and thus prevent the pro-
gram of suppression. -~ ..-S
John Devoe, lrish-American publ.
cist and editor, declared Irisll-Amer-
leans should "let the government at
Washington know" that when the time
came for Ireland to strike they would
demand that the United States allow
Ireland to import her arms and muni-
tiOns from this country and float a
$1OO,OOO,00O loan here to finance the
war for freedom.
The declaration of principles, unani-
mously adopted, warned the United
States against England, and declared
that Britain was ready to strike this
country at short notice.
The convention called on Congress
to warn Americans not to travel on
ships carrying munitions or ships
which were armed, and said that Eng
land was attempting to shield her
floating arsenals behind the skirts of
American women"
Supreme Court Justice Cohalan said
the greatest service which Irish-Amer-
leans had already done for this coun.
try was to create sentiment in past
years which prevented the United
States from forming all active defen-
sive and offensive alliance with Great
Britain which would have compelled
this nation to enter the present war
as England's ally, just as Japan has
done. He said there was in this coun-
try at this time group of shrewd
men attempting to create sentiment
for Great Britain on the ground that
the United States ought still to be
a colony of England. Irish4Ameri-
cans, he said, would prevent such
move, as they had prevented similar
ones.
Supreme Court Justice Edward ].
Gavegan struck out boldly against the
insinuation that hyphenated Amer.
ican, so called, was not true Ameri-
can. He asked this question: Would
an American, compelled to fee this
country after foreign invasion, be
less loyal to the land to which he fed
If he, without prejudicing the honor
Of his adopted land, strove always to
free the United States from the thrall
of the invader?
Supreme Court Justice Peter A. Hen.
drick said that no American had to
apologize for standing for Irish free
dom from the domination of England.
He declared that this country had
nothing in its history nor faced the
prospect Of any situation which could
| make 1t court an alliance with Eng.