New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-18
Ireland and America

The Tribune has been asked many tunes
and nv many of its English friends to ex-
press an opinion upon the necessity OF
settlement of the Irish question. lnvarl-
ably the question has been put as to the
American point Of view and the effect OF
the Irish question upon American pub
lie opinion
There is no more difficult thing than to
express an opinion upon what is DO
,oestic question in another nation without
arousing the resentment Of that nation'
To saw that the Irish problem is and re-
mains the greatest obstacle to complete
accord between the United States and
Great Britain is to say something univer-
sally recognized in America, but when
s.o+od hound to arouse protest in Great
Britain
Face 70 face with another proposal TO
settle the Irish question, American COM
ment will necessarily be Influenced by two
things: By the recognition that the Irish
question is primarily and in a sense en-
tirely a British question and by similar
recognition Of the fact that not until the
Irish question is settled will there cease to
be an antagonism to Great Britain IN this
country, fundamentally, perhaps Irish IN
It's origin. but nevertheless enlistlng the
sympathy and the support Of consider
able non-Irish element.
If tomorrow there could be an an
rouncemcnt that the Irish question had
heen in some measure even accommodated
the effect in the United States would be
very great and very immediate. Those
who svmpathize most with the Allied
cause. those who are most friendly to Eng
land. will be the first TO recognize how
great would be the advantage IN this
country and for the Allied cause Of such
settlement, however hesitatingly they
may say it.
The proposal that has now been made by
Mr.. Lloyd George has nothing Of novelty
in il and has little immediate promise of
acceptance by the Irish themselves. The
onlv question that one may ask to-day is
whether the sincerity of the British gov
ornment in making its new prefer will be
recognized by the mass of the Irish people.
If the Irish people as a mass believe that
the British are sincere in their proposal,
as almost everybody else in the world will
now believe, it would not be difficult to
reach a solution ultimately.
II seems TO The Tribune that never in
the long history Of Anglo-lrish relations
has there been a more honest, more earnest
desire on the part of the English to reach
a settlement which shall be just and hon
cradle. 1t seems TO The Tribune that it
should be recognized in this country that
the proposal which is now being made is a
PROPOSAL made in good faith and made
with the hope that it may at the least offer
a bridge by which one may cross the chasm
dividing the two peoples.
No man can say in what spirit Ireland
will accept the proposal and no man can
pretend that unless it is accepted in the
spirit in which it is made there is hope
of a solution to-day or tomorrow. Ameri-
cans will hope that the latest proffer will
DO accented at least as basis Of confer
ence and cooperation. They will recognize
that not all or most of the obstacles now
existing are English. They will recognize
that unless there is new spirit in ireland,
as there seems TO be in England, great
tragedy will not finally come to an end.
The United States as a nation has no
right TO interfere in the domestic affairs
of Great Britain. The new relations be-
tween the two countries do not change this
fact. Nothing could be more complete
than the absence on the part Of the British
of any effort TO manipulate within our po-
ltical system during the last two years
and half A similar attitude is now de-
n anded Of the Americans.
No American can now go beyond the
statement that the settlement of the Irish
question would be the greatest contribu-
ton TO establishing the Allied cause in
America that is conceivable. This is not
to say that solution is possible; this is
not to apportion the blame for any failure
ko Erulteb and tho Irieh. tbio 4.