The Irish standard., 1916-06-24
IRISH VOLUNTEERS DENY
THAT REVOLUTION WAS
FOMENTED BY GERMANY
POINT TO WRITINGS OF SIR
ROGER EASEMENT LONG BE.
FORE THE OUTBREAK OF WAR
HIS ARGUMENTS ATTRACTED
ATTENTION AMONG THE IRISH
ALL OVER THE WORLD.

4ielduu was 4ouenteQ Dy Germany,
point to the writings of Sir Roger
Easement before the outbreak of the
European war. Among other things
is a pamphlet entitled ireland, Ger
many and the Freedom of the Seas"
Written anonymously in 1911, his ar
guments attracted wide attention
among 1rishmen. Since the outbreak
of the war the pamphlet has been
suppressed.
An introduction, written in 1914,
says:
"Once the chief factor governing
the conflict (the present war, fore
seen by Sir Roger, not alone among
Europeans) is perceived, namely, the
British claim to own the seas and to
dominate the commercial intercourse
of the world, then the cause of Ger
many becomes the cause of European
civilization at large. Germany is
fighting the battle of Europe, the bat
tie of free trade, the fight to open the
seas of the world.
"a German triumph will bring
equality of opportunity to all who
traverse the seas, and in order to
safeguard that new won freedom, Ire.
land, the Keeper of the Seas for Great
Britain, must become the Keeper of
the Seas for Europe. Such is the
object of the German effort; such the
possibility and hope to Ireland, and
the sea nations of German triumph.
Urged Free Ireland.
"a German victory must bring as
one of the surest guarantees of peace
and sea liberty for all, an Ireland
restored to Europe and erected into a
sovereign European state under inter-
national guarantees.
England fights as the foe of Europe
and the enemy of European civiliza-
ton. In order to destroy German
shipping, German commerce, German
industry, she has deliberately plotted
the conspiracy we now see at work.
The war of 1914 is England's war.
For years she has been planning how
she could, without danger to herself,
destroy the peaceful menace of Ger
man prosperity"
Quotations from the pamphlet fol-
low:
German expansion is not to be
tolerated. It can only be threat
to, or attained at, the expense of
British interests. Those interests be-
ing world wide with the seas for their
rainment-may, with the earth for their
footstool-it follows that wherever
Germany may turn for an outlet she
is met by the British challenge, Not
There!'
Cites Monroe Doctrine.
British interests interdict the Old
World; the Monroe Doctrine, main.
tanned, it is alleged, by British naval
supremacy, forbids the New. Let Ger.
many acquire coaling station, SAM.
forum, health resort, the ground for
a hotel, even, on some foreign shore
and British interests spring to at.
tention, English jealousy is aroused.
1T is not the ethical superiority OF
the English race that accounts for
their lead, but the favorable geograph
ical situation from which they have
been able to develop and direct their
policy of expansion. England has tri
umphed mainly from her position. The
qualities of her people have, undoubt
eddy, counted for much, but her unriv
allied position in the lap of the Allan
tic barring the seaways and closing
the tideways of Central and North
eastern Europe, has counted for more
with this key she has opened the
world to herself and closed it to hel
rivals.
Europe, without navies, without
shipping, became for England mere
westward projection of Asia, dominat
ed by warlike peoples who could al
ways be set by the ears and made tC
fight upon points of dynastic honor
while England appropriated the mar
kets of mankind.
World Open to British.
'Thenceforth, for the best part Of
century, while Europe was spent in
what, to the superior Briton, were
tribal conflicts, the seas and coasts
of the world lay open to the intru
sions of his commerce, his colonists
his finance, until there was seeming
ly nothing left outside the two Ameri
cas- worth laying hands on.
The Irish soldiers in Germany up
hold the old traditions for manly piety
DR.. O'Gorman, assistant-general of thu
Order of st. Augustine, who passed
two months in the .Lemberg camp a.
chaplain to them with Father Crotty
says it was the men, not their chan
lains, who started the custom of recit
ing the Rosary in each of the ten dl
visions of the camp every evening.
Among those who were recently re
ceived in special audience by Pop,
Benedict with all the customary cere