The Irish standard., 1917-04-07
Canadian Paper
Singes EngIand's
Prime Minister
A Crushing Answer to Premier Lloyd
George-ResponsibiIity Of the Settl-
ing of the Irish Question Rests With
the English Government.
(From the Toronto Globe.)

pelS attention and calls Tor solution.
The reply of Mr.. Lloyd George to the
demands of Irish members in the
house leads nowhere. In the opinion
of his own friends, he has failed to
offer a practical solution of the diff
Guilty that will meet with acceptance
in Ireland or that will meet with unan-
imous approval among his old Lib
eral associates. Always friendly to
Mr.. Lloyd George, "The London Chron-
icle" is compelled to reject the reac-
tionary doctrine of government by mi
nority which underlies the British
premier's statement defining the linn
it's within which the government is
prepared to act. AS the London Lib
eral newspapers point out, in Offering
a truncated Ireland the premier was
offering something the Nationalist
could not possibly accept. Equally un-
answerable is the contention of "The
London News" that the responsibility
for settlement of the Irish problem
rests on the government and not on
the Irish people. The question of Ire
land is not problem of empire only.
In these days of war the fate of the
smaller nationalities of Europe has be-
even if she would, avoid the judgment
of other nations and other peoples on
the results of her rule in Ireland. So
long as Ireland is governed from
Westminster so long must Britain bear
the responsibility for the condition of
Ireland 1t was with keen sense of
this moral responsibility in the eyes
of the world that Mr.. Lloyd George
deliberately addressed his offers of a
ment or people only, or to the empire
at large, but, in the words of the
premier, to men outside the confines
of the United Kingdom and the Brit
ish empire" The reason for this is
clear. Britain must go into the COM
ing peace conference with clean hands
and a clear conscience. The Irish
question must be settled, before the
Allied powers discuss with Germany
and Austria-Hungary the future status
of the small Slav nationalities now
under Teuton rule. The sympathetic
tone of Mr.. Lloyd Georges speech
shows that in his opinion at least the
freedom and contentment of Ireland
are not less important to the empire
and to the civilized world than the
freedom and contentment of little,
down-trodden Belgium.
What stands in the way of just
settlement of the Irish question? It
is idle to talk of the partition of Ire.
land when neither party will accept
this solution. On this question Sir
Edward Carson is hopelessly at vari-
; ance with his own constituency, Dub
lin university. 1t is irritating to sug-
gest that Ireland must wait for the
fulfllment of British promises until
the Ulster minority gives it's assent,
unless the same principle applies to
British legislation. Did the Unionists
consider the Nonconformist minority
in England and Wales when they
forced upon it the Ubiquitous educa-
ton act of 1902 and filled the jails
with passive resisters? Did Mr.. Lloyd
George listen to the objections of mi
norities when forcing through his So
cial reform legislation? What is the
complaint of Nationalist Ireland? 1t
is one that affects the honor of Brit.
ish statesmen. The complaint is that
, by the aid of Irish votes the Liberal
party carried through it's monumental
schemes of social reform; that by the
aid of Irish votes it invaded Wales
and disestablished the state church
that by the aid of Irish votes it de.
stroyed the veto of the lords and re.
moved what Mr. Asquith declared to
be the last obstacle to the granting
of Irish selfgovernment; that, hav.
ing made use of the Irish vote in Brit.
ish domestic politics to effect social
and political revolution, Mr.. Lloyd
George now tells Irish Nationalist
they can get no help from him or
from his government in fulfillment OF
: British pledges.
The situation in Ireland has not
: been improved by Mr.. Lloyd Georges
speech. He has laid down the prin
ciple that no minority must be forced
! to submit to form of government OF
e which it does not approve. He asks
e Ireland to accept principles of gov
t eminent which he himself has de
nounced when applied to British af
fairs. To the veto powers of the he
a reditary and unrepresentative peers
g Mr.. Lloyd George opposed the inalien
s able right of a free people to govern
J themselves. Shall less be done fol
l. Ireland than has been claimed ant
successfully asserted on behalf of thu
y British democracy?
s What of Ulster? Only by the par
d tition of the northern province car
e Mr. Lloyd Georges visionary propos
e ais be carried through. And who II
l. this Ulster minority that blocks thu
way to Anglo-lrish reconciliation
:, Since the war this Unionist minorit,
r that fears religious persecution, ant
d which pretends to believe that "Hom,
f, Rule would mean Rome Rule" has re
8 turned to parliament for a Tyron,
n constituency the brother of a Jesui