The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1918-12-07
THE COMING WEEK is IRELAND'S SELF
DETERMINATION WEEK

THE COMING WEEK is IRELAND'S SELF
DETERMINATION WEEK
Next week has been designated as Irish Self
determination Week. A movement which is in
tended to cover the entire United States has been
naugurated to voice the demand of the friends of
Ireland for self determination of her sovereignty
in accordance with President Wilson's program for
permanent ad ustment of those vexatious relation
ships among the peoples of the world that have ever
constituted menace to the peace and happiness
of the world
The solution of many of these difficult questions
has in many instances followed as corollary to
the victory of the Allies in the world war; It is
believed that the situation in Germany, Austria,
Turkey and Russia is we'll in hand, and that
none of these countries will present serious OBJ
stacles in the adjustments of the Peace Confer
Poland Serbia the Czecho- Slovaks, the Jugo-
Slavs the Ukrainans and other nationalities have
had their cases we'll advanced toward a final and
satisfactory conclusion
What, if anything, is to be done for that
other long suffering nation, Ireland? We quote
from the Admirable CALL issued under the auspices
OF the Ancient Order of Hibernians, few of the
salient points bearing upon the duty of all Amer
premises:
widespread indignation has been aroused among
American Irishmen and all iberty-loving citizens
by the beated but very obvious attempt of Lloyd
George the nondescript political juggler at the
head of the British coalition government, to shelve
once more the justsclaims of Ireland to national
determination and again betray the masses Of
Ern's population
To the last man, the Irish and liberty-loving
persons everywhere voicing their unsuitable
belief in the power, the willingness, the courage,
and ability of President Wilson to obtain from Eng
land at the peace table the measure of Justice and
freedom for the Irish people that alone can satisfy
the legitimate national aspirations of that ancient,
indestructible and uncomfortable race.
In Ireland today President Wilson is idolized;
his is being acclaimed as that of the con-
queror of Autocracy and the savior of Democracy
AS that of the guardian of the soul and destiny
OF Erin-and no one over there believes that the
master mind in White House at Washington
will permit Lloyd George-whose political fortunes
Wilson saved in saving all the Entente nations from
defeat in the world war-to betray the overwhelna-
ing majority of the population in sacred land
that can justly claim to have one of the Oldest
continuous civilizations among the great white
of the world.
IRELAND'S revenue tax this present year was
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION DOL
LARS! Of this sum ONE HUNDRED MILLION
DOLLARS was an excess tax for war maintenance
This current Revenue is FIFTY-FIVE MILLION
DOLLARS greater than HOLLANDS; NINE
TIMES GREATER than SWITZERLAND'S, and
SWITZERLAND, NORWAY and GREECE
Each of these countries maintains army, and
of them fleet as well consular service
throughout the world and National Government by
men OF their own race, while lRELANDS Inn
perial Tax of ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY
MILLION DOLLARS goes for the ruling of IRE
LAND by ENGLISFIMEN in the selfish interests
Of ENGLAND, and to help pay for which
is to bring DEMOCRACY to other small ma
tons that is fatty denied to herself
While WOODROW WILSON, the PRESI-
DENT of the UNITED STATES, is proclaiming
to all the world his famous slogan, SELF-DETER-
MINATION for ALL nations, LLOYD GEORGE,
: the prime minister of ENGLAND, in a speech de-
livered on Saturday. NOVEMBER is, in West
minister, declared that CHE COULD SUPPORT
NO SETTLEMENT OF THE IRISH QUES-
TON THAT WOULD IMPOSE COERCION
ON THE SIX ULSTER COUNTIES WHICH
DO NOT WANT TO BE SEPARATED FROM
THE EMPIRE"
If ENGLAND has its own way at the coming
PEACE CONFERENCE, we will have the old
sickening spectacle of IRELAND being governed
according to the will of SMALL MINORITY.
What then will become of the ideal for which
AMERICAN BOYS died on the battlefelds of
EUROPE; IF IRELAND is to be kept in SLAV-
cry how can the WORLD BE SAFE FOR DE-
MoCRAcY?
But no matter how obviously just our claims, no
matter how clearly in harmony with Americas part
in the war, now happily ended, SO numerous and
important the questions awaiting adjustment
that the rights IF the Emerald Isle may be over
looked forgotten if we do not see to It that they