The Irish standard., 1916-12-30

known. The Sim Fein leaders are all
dead, but the Irish believed it and it
was the real cause of the rising.
At first Irish sympathy was largely
on the side of the government. Most
people felt that rebellion at such
time deserved to be put down with
strong hand, but once over, the
amount OF harm that protracted trials
and executions have done can hardly
be exaggerated. Feeling is as strong
and general in Ireland now as after
the rebellion of 1898. Every Irish
man is hating every other Irishman
and all of them are united in hating
England.
I; 1t has been a tragedy of misman-
agement from the beginning. The
same government methods that suit
the English would not necessarily suit
+, the French. Why should they suit
the Irish? There is less similarity
between the English and Irish nature
than between the French and Irish.
All the things that England likes,
the practical things-law, order, eff
ciency-Ireland abhors. The differ
ence is between the way of Martha
and the way of Mary, and Ireland's
way is that of Mary.
In the meantime the English gov
ernment has thrown it's hands in the
air. They are honestly ready to do
anything, and neither they nor the
Irish know exactly what to do. They
have removed General Sir John Max
we'll as the first step. His modern
military methods are too unpopular.
A uniform in Ireland today is a men,
ace not protection to it's wearer.
Soldiers are constantly sniped at.
The English call it fatal mistake,
actuated through fear of Redmond,
who has lost great many follow
ers through being considerd too pro-
English. l heard his speech for more
trust towards Ireland and it seemed
to me fair and temperate statement
of mistakes committed that could and
ought to be righted, but all around me
indignant English people were mur-
muring that he ought to be shot.
All Ireland asks, according to Mr..
Redmond, is the certainty of home rule
(Which it, was promised) and to be as
Irish as it pleases. The French say
they can only fight comfortably lin the
suicidal blue uniform that they are ac,
customed to and Ireland wants bit of
green pinned to it's colors. Kitchener,
who was not a pliable person, made
the mistake of not allowing recruit,
ing under a green flag.
The Irish regiments have not even
badge, though the Scotch and Welsh
have them and many Irish soldiers
have been drafted into Highland regi.
ments Gmagine a Dublin man in a
Glengarry bonnet. All little things
but warranted to make tempera.
mental people feel misused.
If King Edward had been alive his
genius for tact would have settled
something. l think he would have
gone to Ireland and said, "Now, boys
you love to fght-yOu must all come
and fight for me-" and they would have
come, but they have been rubbed the
wrong way so long that they are real
ly dying to fight, they will resist to
the last if England tries to make them
No one does any work in Ireland
any more, they tell me. Men sit
around and ponder on their wrongs
That Ireland realized the part Ger
many was to play in its freedom l dc
not believe. There is no sympathy
for Germany in Ireland It's whole
national attitude is a protest against
what it considers Prussianism.
A man who talked often with Sil
Roger Easement before his execution
told me that Easement had said that
already the Germans were finding the
Irish brigade recruited from Irish pris
oners too much of handful and had
asked him to take them with him tC
Ireland. He had refused, he said, tc
place their heads in the moose along
with his own.
i It seems that, taken up to Berlin
and given fine uniforms, plentifully
decorated with gold lace, the Irish
brigade had proceeded to get Berlin
drunk, marched arm in arm in Untel
den Linden, singing "Rule Britannia,
and demanding three cheers for King
George.
Nothing the Germans could do would
!quiet them.
i CONVERTS TO CHURCH.
} Mrs. Mitchell, widow of the late
! Hon. John H. Mitchell, United States
} senator from Oregon, died the othe1