The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-06
INSIDE MEANING OF SlNN FElN
UNREST IN IRELAND REVEALED
DE Valera, Leader, Opposes
Home Rule, Everything But
Absolute independence and
Right to Ally with Any Power
Irish Republic Chooses.
Bv KENNETH W. PAYNE.

BY KENNETH W. PAYNE.
(DaiIy Tribune's Former London Cor
respondent who Recently Returned
to ms country.
What is the inside meaning Of Sim
Fein unrest in Ireland? What is the
history of Sim Fem, and for what is
it working? Who is DeValera, it's
.eaaer, anu what are his policies?
The present critical situation in
Ireland brings up these questions as
important points affecting the war
and Americas part in it.
Yet America, often appealed to by
various Irish factions for sympathy
in their cause, shows only scattered
understanding OF what this growing
Irish movement Of today is really all
about, and of how vitality it affects
A'lltaln and ourselves.
no American unless he actually
gets onto Irish soil can understand
the uncompromising bitterness OF ccr-
laln Sim II elm elements.
In Edward De Valera's modest Dub
lin nome had a talk with this Sim
Fem leader himself. He expounded
40 real LuCOl VI AIAoII as
it has developed TODAY and around
which at least 25O,0O0 Of the Irish poo.
pie have rallied. ...
The central ract about De Valera's
policy in so far as it affects America
and the war is that he and many OF
his followers fail to accept Or under
stand Wilson's scheme for a league of
nations banded together to enforce
o, ,se. vance of international law. De
Valera declares that no nation can
Join in such scheme of International
.sm until it has first enjoyed The full
fruits and rights of nationalism This
enjoyment, he says, Ireland has never
had.
Ireland, once having gained ner
complete independence, he said,
would have the inalienable right to
make such alliances as she chose, for
her own interest alone. She might
ally herself with the United States,
or she might just as freely ally her.
say her nay
The Sim Fein leaders are working
now for the winning of every parlia-
mentary election in Ireland. Each
Sim Fein candidate who wins will
refuse to take his seat in the British
parliament Instead he will consider
himself elected to an Irish constitu
ent assembly. This assembly would,
should it ever be formed-and gen.
era1 election now would almost GER
tainly result in its formation-estab-
ash Ireland as self-governing re-
public, put forth the claim that the
Irish were a suppressed nationality,
and demand admission for Irish dele
gates to the peace conference after
The war. 49,
But" say the Obstetrics, lust as
the Bolsheviki, with their mouths full
Of the phrase 'sef-determinltion of
peoples have warred on the Ukraine
ad the Films, so the Sim Fein repub-
lie would war on Ulster 1t would re-
fuse US our independence from itself
while demanding complete independ-
ence of it's own 80 .,s'
Sim Fein began as cultural and lit
erary movement, and was hardly mix
>lup actively in these confused polit-
ical quarrels until the Easter rebellion
of 1916. It's early leaders were liter
Try men.
Edward De Valera, however, is
cghter first. professor of mathe-
mates second. and not a writer ct all.
When the Irish convention met to
frame constitution for ireland, he
and his followers would have moth
ing to do with it.
To Sim 'Fein, home rule is no
longer acceptable, the labors of the
Irish convention are not acceptable,
and nothing short of absolute indie
pendence Is acceptable. Sim Fein
claims, with some show of reason, to
represent vast proportion of the
Irish people. And despite the drastic
repression of the Cerman-aided rebel
lion of 1916, it claims the right to
ally itself again with Germany. or
with any nation that will help it fight
England.