The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-04-21

to the Government, Now That State
Of War Has Been Declared, and
Say the Proud Record Of the Race
in Every Crisis of the Nations His
tory Will be Northumberland
Entitled to Special Consideration
from United States-Action Re-
quested Now, Not at End of War
ireland Has Right to Freedom as
Much as Belgium, Servia, Roumania
or Montenegro-Has Fought for It
for Seven Hundred Years and Has
All the Attributes of Nationhood.
The great Irish meeting in Carnegie
Hall on Easter Sunday evening, sent
a telegram to President Wilson and
an identical letter to President
Marshall and Speaker Clark. The tele-
gram to President Wilson was pro-
posed by Justice of the Supreme
Court Edward J. Gavegan, and the let
ter to the VicePresidcnt and Speaker
Clark was proposed by former Judge
John Jerome Rooney. Both documents
follow:
Telegram Sent to President Wilson.
10 President Wilson,
White House. Washington, D. C.
Thousands of American citizens as
sembled on the first anniversary of
the proclamation of the Irish Republic
to commemorate the heroism of the
men who gave life and liberty for
human freedom greet you with respect
and loyalty, unrcservedly pledge to
you their support in whatever meas
ures you may take for the maintenance
and protection of Americas honor and
interests. and earnestly hope that in
pursuance of your noble declaration
for justice to small nationalities you
will raise your voice-pOwerful as the
voice of Amcrica--in demand for ius-
tice to Ireland, which can only be Sc
cured by establishing her independ-
ence.
JOHN w. GOFF,
Chairman.
JOHN JEROME ROONEY,
Secretary.
Ask American Intervention for Irish
independence.
New York, April 8, 1917.
Hon. Champ Clark,
Speaker House of Representatives.
Dear Sir:
On behalf of a great meeting Of
American citizens held in Carnegie
Hall tonight to commemorate the
Proclamation of the Irish Republic in
Dublin on Easter Monday, April "a,
1916, we have the honor to assure
the House of Representatives, through
you, of our unswerving and devoted
loyalty to the United States in the
crisis which has arisen through the
Declaration Of a State of War with
Germany. We know we voice the SEN
timents of the great mass of citizens
of New York of Irish blood, and we
believe of the whole country, in giving
that assurance.
The American Government has
made it's decision in the way pre-
scribed by the Constitution, and all
loyal citizens are bound to obey it,
no matter what their opinions or atti-
tude may have been before that deci-
sion was reached. Exercising our
rights as American citizens and be-
lieving that Englands continued mas
terry of the sea would be injurious to
all mankind and u serious menace to
the interests of the United States
that an England victorious in this war
would be Americas most dangerous
enemy-we steadfastly opposed the
entry of this country into the Euro
pean struggle. But the moment that
Congress acted our opposition ceased
and we aligned ourselves unreserved-
ly behind the Government, as our race
has ever done in every crisis of the
Nations history from the Revolution
and the War of 1872 to the Civil War
and the War with Spain. Irish blood
has been poured out freely on every
battlefield where the honor and inter-
ests of the United States were at
stake, and that proud record will be
maintained untarnished now and in
the future. We affirm without fear of
contradiction that no man can sue
cessfully challenge that record or
minimize its importance in making
America the great free country it is.
We feel therefore that this record
entities Ireland during the progress
of this war to the special considera-
i tion of the American people and Gov
ernment Ireland is one of the small
! nationalities" which need help against
the oppression of a Power which holds
1t by military force alone, against the
wishes of the great majority Of its
people, stiles its economic life and
has driven from it's shores in half a
century many times more people than
now inhabit it. Seventy years ago
Ireland had population of 8,500,000
and produced food enough for 17,000,-
900. Yet 100000 people died Of hun.
ger or famine fever and an exodus un.
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