New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-12-27
Sirln Fciners Plan
Big Irish Assembly
For Next Month
Those Elected Refuse to
Take Parliament Seats,
While Many Predict Sep
aration and New Republic

DUBLIN, Dec 10 Correspondence OF
The Associated Prcss).-The Sim rem
victory over the Nationalists in the
recent Parliamentary elections eX-
ceeded the highest hopes of the Sim
F6iners. It is believed that when the
final count is made on December 70
the Sim F6ners will have won ma
GRITTY of the Irish seats. In fact, before
the election they had gained twenty
five seats because the Nationalists did
not oppose them
The Sim Feiners elected to the
House of Commons will not take their
seats. They Will forfeit the $75 which
they had to post as an election fee and
which is returnab!o only when a mem
Der takes his oath and his seat.
The immediate purpose of the Sim
Feiners, according to one Of their most
prominent leaders, is to convoke an
Irish Nationalist Assembly early in
January The Assembly would draft
national constitution for Ireland, which
would be laid before a conference of
all nations.
Boast Complete Separation
Complete separation and republic
wholly independent Of Great Britain
are boldly claimed by some Sim Fem
ers. The policy Of the Sim Feiners is
reported to be all or nothing, and it is
believed shat the success Of the Sim
Fcin has been because a moderate set
Element of the Irish question has not
yet been reached. The difficulties in
the way Of Home Rule agreement
still persist. Various plans have been
suggested to bring about Home Rule,
but none has substantial backing from
any organized party in Ireland.
Meanwhile the government in Ireland
is concerned mostly with the problem
of the reconstruction of industry after
the war, and plans are being prepared
for the expenditure of money in Ire
land on industrial and agricultural i'm
provoments. Viscount French, the Lord
Lieutenant, and the Secretary for Ire
land, Mr.. Shortt. are in accord with
this movement, which may be affected
adversely by the absence of Irish mem
bers from Parliament if the Sim Fem
ers carry out their threat.
NationaIsts Fight Weakly
Election day came with the Sim
Feiners having an advantage over the
Nationalists in being returned unop-
posed from twenty-five constituencies.
Tho Nationalists made weak fight in
many districts and failed entirely to
contest such moderate constituencies
as Carlow.
The Sim Fein leaders made valuable
political use of the continued impris-
onment OF their leaders on charge Of
completely in German plot. Many of
the interncd Sim F6in were nominated
.,t1in ba Of NC+,,
for the man unjustly in Jail" was
raised in their behalf. The National
lists helped this by repudiating the sug
gestion of a German plot.
I'm Ulster Cardinal Logue was lead
cr in organizing opposition to the fol-
lowers Of Sir Edward Carson With
Catholic bishops and others he allotted
the eight doubtful seats in Ulster
equally between the Sim Feiners and
the Nationalsts and called upon the
supporters of each party to vote
against tho Carsonites.
Cardinal Logue, who has condemned
the Sim Fem policy as "foolish and
DISASTROUS announced his intention to
vote for tho Sim Fein candidate. This
was another bomb in the ranks of the
Nationalists, who were weakened fur
thcr by tho Sn0n0rt Gwen the Sim
'ein by Archbishop Walsh Of Dublin
Bishop Fogarty oil kilaloe, Bishop Hal
Imam of Limerick and Bishop Cohalan
Of Cork.
Mary Appeals to America
Appeals to America played a great
part in the Con+o~t on both sides. The
Nationalist leaders recalled that the
Sim Feiners had insuitcd the Amer-
can flag and supported Germany. The
Sim Feincrs minimized the reports of
insults and repudiated allegations of
pro Gcrmanism by asserting they were
only pro-irish. No speech was com
plcte without reference to the Irish
in America, and some Sim Fem speak
ers said that from 80 to 100 per cent
OF Americans favored the independence
of Ireland.
An interesting feature Of the cleo
ton was the appearance of the Sim
Fein side of those bearing names IA
miliar in Irish political history. A son
of Gavan Duffy the AS leader, was the
Sim Fein csndiAa+n ~ South Dublin.
nd the sons and daughters of Michael
Davitt appe2i Inn Fem plat
forms and asSorta1 lat their father
we'd and died an advocate Of physical
force. Active SPEAKERS on the Sim
Fem side were the sons of a great
grandson of Grattan, Sir Thomas Graf
tan Esmonde, Nationalist member of
Parliament fer North Wexford, who
was fighting for reelection.