The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-03-19

where business men of intelligence
have for years surveyed the whole
situation, have lived under a particu-
lar government and have surveyed the
proposals of other governments with
all the greatest desire in the void to
come to satisfactory terms with those
who have been our opponents, nobody
has ever, putting all sentiment aside
pointed out better way than the
maintenance of the Union between
Great Britain and Ireland. And then,
if that is the conclusion to which you
! come-not guided by religious ami
! mostly, but looking at it plainly and
from a business point of view-if we
; have really come to that conclusion
well, then, it requires a very strong
case to point out what are the modi
fications that ought to be made in
that particular government.
1t is certainly a strange thing that,
while it was in the midst of the
French War, that Pitt thought it nee
essary to create Union, it is in the
midst of the worlds war that some
f other people should be thinking of
somewhat dissolving or modifying it.
We are in this position, that we say:
'Show us a better way-and we shall
calmly and deliberately, not with any
thought of political triumph or poll
teal Victory-for, after all these are
, small matters in the circumstances in
which we now find ourselves-we shall
weigh anything you put before US and
see whether it is a golden change
Z which will bring about a greater feel
q ing of security. and, above all things,
a better feeling between man and
O man. amongst Irishmen.
= We say not only are we willing to
9 consider it, but we will consider it
r whole-heartedly with view to see
: if we can meet you"
The Convention and After
Since the convention met I myself
= have never interfered in the slightest
= degree with the proposals or the medi-
: tations of that august body.
n My own belief is that it is the duty
l, of that body to traverse with good
= temper, with good humor, and above
# all with calm intelligence, every inch
of the ground that is possible to be
e traversed.
1t 1 don't think the Convention ought
: to cease their labors so long as there
d is any possible proposal which they
IL ought to consider. 1 don't disguise
lie from myself the fact-I would indeed
J. be a very poor statesmen if I did
re that having once set the convention
N into, motion it will be matter of yer!
grave anxiety as to what will harper
e if the convention breaks up.
" If it does, I understand there is al
k idea that the government itself vii
TO try its hand and they will have tn
h full advantage of trying their ham
al without any interference upon m
at part, and I, on the other hand, vii
n have the full advantage Of eXercisin
n my unbiased judgment on such pro
IN posals as they may be able to formu
v: late and if 1 think it proper-that Ii
I'd If 1 think they are in any wise rea
L. sonable, of taking them over to yo
n: and submitting them to you for you
or opinion upon them.
1g The question of a government sue
OF as we are confronted with is not
ut political question at ALL 1t is a ques
at tion-and 1 am really only talking
. platitude when I say so-it is a ques
z ton which is going to affect every me
u ment day and night, of the dali
u businesses and lives in public and
q private of every. citizen over whoT
r. the government is imposed and there
n fore we cannot be expected for an
n indirect reason, or by reason of tn
n creation of any sense of atmosphere
n we cannot be expected to divert oul
n selves from the task of calmly cor
. sidering whether the proposed govern
err ment is one under which we can ez
On pect to live happily or not.
his Problems Before the Court
eh G. taU g. .ho Irisb si+natton
Of am sorry it has come into play at al
a do not think it ought ever to haV
lin been allowed to come into play at a.
ost God knows it is enough to carl
III our sorrows and anxieties in the Eur
~ aH pean situation created by the world
w. war without having had put upon l
ra- the additional burden of bearing IL
gh anxieties of changes of governmel
1t in the middle of this war.
sty Great problems of reconstructie
II are facing us all round in relation
~ the whole fabric of society and II
~ fabric of commerce, but the recol
- struction of the shattered fran
lie stands in advance of all others. tt
ia1 reconstruction of commerce is anoth
matter with which we will be direct
ted confronted. 1 myself had been 81
ex- ting before the War Cabinet before
ms left for some months on a Commits
investigating some of those econom
70 problems that will arise.
II tell F~ss ! have often stood agha
rs at the vista OF difficulties that will
~ before u.s. There is the question of
an. world shortage of raw materials al
1.-THE question Of a world shortage