Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-14
WHY COLONIES
SUPPORT BRITAIN
PerpleXities of the Irish Prob
lem Contrasted With Loyalty
of the Empire

To tho Editor OF the Evcning Lcdge,.
Sir-ln your issue of October 12 I read
Joseph McGarrity's defense" against the
treason cha'g" rn"eni!y brought ara ct
him. under the heading MCCARTHY Denies
treason Charge" | hope il is not too late
to make some reply to this defense" which
Is nothing more than fagrant insult
toward our mother country and principal
ally, and our country as we'll
1t Is certainly a falschood that England
Is the greatest suppressor of liberty and
small nations" Let Englands colonies
who have so nobly stood by her in this
conflict answer this lie. The very fact
that with the exception of the southern p .rt
or ireland, every one Of her colonies has
stood loyalty by It's mother country In this
conflict Give the lie TO this assertion What
would the Welsh, Scotch Canadian AUS
tra!!an Indian and South African peoples
say 10 this? Tlkc the case Of the Beers
for example, whom England conquered. Why
did they not rise against rgland at the
beginning of the war If II Is true that Eng
land was "the greatest suppressor of lib
erty and small nations in the world"? With
the exception of a few rebels who were in
cited to rebellion by German propaganda
the Beers have remained loyal to England
They know that there are justice and free.
dom under British rule
IL cannot be denied that there are as
much freedom and justice to be foun under
English rule as under that of any nation
II Is useless to enter upon any Discussion
here as to the charge that England has
oppressed Ireland. Can those Irish who
are always finding fault with English rule
and complaining that England does not
grant rights and privileges they are en-
titled TO, explain how 1t Is there is so much
difference of opinion among 10, Irish them
selves concerning the question of home rule
and other matters?S How Is it that a GER
tain section of Ireland Is determined that
home rule shall not he put into force, while
another section Is determined that home
rule shall he put into effect in the whole
Of Ireland? II seems that the Irish had
better come to some agreement among
themselves before they accuse England of
injustice. The Irish have had fun repre-
sentation In the British Parliament all these
years and shortly before the war broke
out the home-rule bill was passed So
what more do they want? If the Irish
showed that they were fit to govern them
selves It might be well to grant them self
government. but since they show that they
are not they ought to be satisfied with
what they have.
The Irish consider that England commit
ted a perfidous act In executing Easement
and sixteen other Irish rebels But let
II be said that no more perfidious act or
series of acts could have been performed
than what Easement did. If he was not
n traitor and did not deserve death at the
hands or government 10 Wnicn he proved
false then / would like to know what is
meant by traitor. Fora a man who was
once intrusted with positions of responsi-
bility to go into country at war with
Engi md, plot with that Government, 60 into
the Irish prison camp, endeavor to turn
the loyal Irish soldiers to take up arms
against England and fight on the side OF
a foe-not an honorable foe-what more
could be treason? From Mr.. Gerard's ac-
count we learn that Easement was run
out of the camp by his indignant country
men. He suffered the fate he so richly
deserved. and which would have been given
him by any other Government deserving Of
the name of government Easements name
deserves TO go into history as that OF an
other Benedict Arnold, not as patriot and
martyr
II is said that England used undue Sc
verify in dealing with the Irish rebels II
would have been interesting to have seen
what the German Government would have
done IL Ireland had been under German
rule. Instead of there being a few execu-
tions. there would undoubtedly have been
hundreds of executions. and the Sim Eein
Society would have been knocked 'hivher
than kite" judging from the way the
German Government has dealt with Rel
eium and other countries which she holds
in her possession as a result of this war.
The Irish would certainly have received no
mercy In that case. and they would have
found Germany would not have kept faith
with them, rs England has done. IL il
we're convsnisnt for her to break her word.
nut ~ ~ sske q imnsinery vrongvs y