The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1918-08-03
A RINGING MESSAGE
Bishop BENZ. J. Kelley, Savannah, Ga.
Urges Ireland to Stand for
Human Freedom.

VII EIludy, July 4, bishop Aelley, Ol
Savannah, received the following cable
message from Mr. A. M. Sullivan, the
chairman of the Irish Recruiting
Council in Dublin:
eve are starting out recruiting Ire
land for the war. Again ask members
of the American hierarchy to send us
messages of encouragement for pub
LEGATION here. Urgent!
"ALEX,
Chairman Irish Recruiting Council"
The Bishop wired at once to Mr..
Sullivan the reply: "Germany's de-
feat means freedom for Ireland and
the world"
On July 8, the Bishop received from
the committee this cable:
MANY thanks for encouraging mes
sage. Please ask Cardinal Gibbons and
others to join with you and help us.
We need all we can get.
"1RISH RECRUITING COUNCIL"
Bishop Kelley at once communicated
with his Eminence and placed the sit
uation before him, and meanwhile sent
the following letter to the chairman
Of the council:
"Mr. A. M. Sullivan,
Chairman of Irish Recruiting Council,
Dublin, Ireland:
my Dear Alex-I was very glad of
the opportunity afforded me by your
cable last week to express my views
Of the proper conduct of Ireland with
regard to the war. AS you know we'll,
both my parents were natives of Ire
land. My father was born in Bandon,
and my mother in Dunmanway, County
Cork. Since my childhood have been
surrounded by conditions which made
me feel an intense interest in their
native land and all my sympathies
have been with and for Ireland To
day as always I believe that Ireland
ought to have Home Rule 7 have
nothing but condemnation for Eng
lands treatment of Ireland, and be-
lieve that a very great number of Eng
lishmen share my views. I am firmly
persuaded that the English cabinet
acted unjustly and unfairly in it's con-
duct towards the Ulsterite revo1ters,
and as firmly am convinced that it
treated with undue severity and great
cruelty the Dublin uprisings.
"But all this is beside the question
now. From every motive-moral or
religious and political-Ireland should
do all in her power to defeat the Ger
mans. With the sole exception of the
Corsican adventurer, modern history
affords no such example of despotism
personified as is exhibited in the
career of the German kaiser. He has
besides defied divine and human laws !;
he has openly flouted the sanctity of
plighted faith as given in solemn
treaties; he has permitted unspeak-
able outrages on women and children
in Catholic Belgium; he has murdered
unoffending priests in that unfortun.
ate land; he has battered down the
| walls that covered the sacramento
home Of Christ; he has profaned the
shores Of your own land the time one
of his submarines destroyed the Lusi,
tania off your coasts and sent down to
untimely death, little babes and their
mothers.
; 1--WE justly condemn the French gov.
I eminent for it's persecution Of the
Church. But, when forty-eight years
ago France was defeated by Prussia
and the German empire was formed,
one of it's first acts was to start cru
SADIE against the Catholic Church
Parishes were deprived of their pas
tors; Bishops were put in prison OF
exiled and everything was done which
that great empire could do to destroy
the Catholic Church, and the persecu