New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-12

Mr.. T. p. O'Connor, veteran journalist and
parliamentarian, has come to this country on
a mission OF conciliation. The need Tor 1t is
pretty we'll understood There are two chief
danger points Just now on the Entente side:
the revolutionary Socialists Of Petrograd
and the Irish extremists of the Sim Fem
Both have been coquetting with Germany,
which intends, of course, to use and betray
them both; but they are real sources Of pres
ent peril. The Sim Feiners are determined
to keep the Irish question permanently IN
famed, to cause and increase bad blood be-
tween the United States and England, thus
iagrantly playing the Berlin game Of sowing
suspicion among the Allies. Mr.. O'Connor
does not seem to have occupied himself with
this larger view; he is more concerned for
the reaction upon Ireland, concerned for the
projected Irish convention and for the work
Of his own Parliamentary party, the very ex-
istence of which is threatened by the Sim
Fein maximalists. But with this motive he
says much that is eloquent and really makes
for concilation for instance, this: There
was a real love for Ireland and her cause
among many millions of Englishmen. These
changed sentiments had been moulded into
hard facts by the greatest transformation OF
a nation that had ever been witnessed.
Thus then the old England and the
old Ireland had begun to vanish. -
Again, he is both conciiatory and eloquent
when, speaking of the present wellbeing OF
ireland, he says: "The country is prospering
and growing more prosperous. Everywhere
throughout the land there is smiling evidence
Of the change .
Playing Berlin's Game
This rings true. Coming from an Irish Ma
tionalist of Mr.. 0'Connor's standing, 1t is
peculiarly welcome genuine evidence OF the
growth of loyal understanding between
England and Ireland for it should be quite
clearly said that, If England has often great
ly misunderstood Ireland, Ireland has shown
an almost hopeless inability to understand
the fundamental principles of England.
But the unfortunate thing and it is in the
last degree unfortunate-is that, while Mr..
O'Connor has this truer view, this nobler
motive, the final impression which his mes
sage gives is exactly opposite; it is far more
likely to increase luminosity against England
than to create better understanding. In this
way, WNlle ueCldIlUB MS NtfOAlOl " bHN SoboC
Of the Allies, Mr.. O'Connor is in fact, and
most unfortunately, playing Berlin's game.
need only bring one evidence of this: The
writer to whose lot it fell, after a careful
reading of Mr. O'Connor's message, to find a
striking heading for it, summed the message
up thus: "Ireland Driven TO Madness by the
Blunders of Britain" This, as has been said,
is exactly the way 10 play the Kaiser's game.
This total failure of Mr. O'Connor TO ac-
complish what he set forth to do--what he
has crossed the Atlantic to accomplish-is
so curious that it is well worth while looking
deeper for its causes. The first cause seems
to be a temperamental, perhaps racial, habit
of viewing facts-not through the intellect,
but through the feelings; of seeing, in facts,
exactly what you wish to see, and then flood
ing the result with excited emotion. Let me
give one or two illustrations. First, take Mr..
O'Connor's attitude toward the Sim Fem
maximalists; when he wishes to scold Eng
land-and lifelong habit of "tail-twisting"
is not easily conauered-Mr. O'Connor de-
scribes the Sim Feiners as Irish dreamers,"
guilty, at the worst, of "foolishness." But
when, on the contrary, he wishes to defend
his own Parliamentary party against their
attacks this is what he has to say OF these
same "dreamers": "Who are the high-souled
patriots who are assailing this party? &.
Count Punkett, their nominal leader, was
maid q government salary up to the time of
the rebellion last year. He was a sturdy ap-
plcant for almost every job that became va
cant until he got one. There was an organi-
cation called the National League, founded
TO destroy the Irish party. Its call was signed
bv seven attorneys. Four of them had been
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