The Washington herald., 1917-09-09

bellion, that it is spreading its or
ganization all over Southern Ireland
and gaining support at an alarming
rate, that its principal doctrine is the
use of force to obtain national inde-
pendence, and that 1t repudiates any
thing short of a complete separation
from the British Empire.
1t was to obtain from the leaders
some explanation of the policy ana
program of Sim Fein that 1 went to
them. Arthur Griffith 1 found in his
office on the second floor of the Sim
Fein bank building. 1t has not been
many days since he was released from
his life sentence for treason; 1t Is
said that he owes his life to the TACT
that at the last moment he tried TO
prevent the rebellion. He talked TO
me with cold passion about England,
quoting broken agreements and at
rocities and acts of extortion extend
ing over past centuries. DO you not,
I asked, make any distinction be-
tween the Tory and Liberal parties IN
England, or do you not admit that
English feeling towards ireland mas
changed in modern dmes?
mo" he said. England is always
the same. Tory or Liberal, Labor or
Pacifst, they are all alike. We trust
none of them. When England is weak,
she offers us concessions. Hence this
convention. When England is strong,
she takes back what she gave US
when she was weak. That is the his
tory of Ireland"
'"What is the Sim Fein political pro-
gram?" 1 asked Mr.. Griffith.
Have No Program.
"Our strength is that we have no
program" he answered. 1T is wrong
to speak of an Irish republic. Sim
Fein is not committed to a republic.
Some of us would prefer an Irish
monarchy. We represent all shades
of political theory. Sim Fein has no
connection with any class, or with
the Catholic Church. Our one aim is
to get the enemy, the army of occu-
patton, out of ireland. When that is
done, Sim Fein will dissolve, political
parties will come into existence, and
we can lead our normal life as ma
ton"
How do you reconcile your pres
ent political campaign, your fight
for seats in the English Parlia-
ment, with your old doctrine of boy
cotting the English rule by not rec
ognizing it?" 1 asked.
The Sim Fein executive" Mr..
Griffith said. "is not an elected
body. 1t could not be. We must
prove to ireland and to the world
that we have the support of the
people of Ireland. For that rea-
son it is necessary to contest these
seats and to win them. No Sim
Fein member, of course, will ever
take his seat at Westminster.
But there Is another and more
important reason why we must
elect members of Parliament. They
form the nucleus of the body that
will take over the government of
ireland. From them will be chosen
the delegates who at the peace con-
ference will demand that the claims
Of ireland be considered together
with those of other small and weak
nations. Our Sim Fein members
are the future rulers of Ireland.
elected by the Irish people, who
understand what they are doing. un-
der the forms and by the machinery
kindly provided by the English gov
ernment. When a Sim Feiner con-
tests a seat with a Nationalist, the
issue is this: The Nationalist asks
the people to send him to the Brit
ish Parliament. We ask the people,
by voting for our candidate, to
pronounce for independence and
withdraw themselves from English
rule. electing instead a man who
will represent them in the govern
ment of Ireland"
We discussed the future of an in
dependent Ireland. Mr.. Griffith con-
tended that Germany and the United
States would support an indepen-
dent Ireland because ''he who COM
mands the sea power of the At
lantic," and the interest Of Ger
many and America. Mr.. Griffith in