The Washington herald., 1918-04-27

With my heart ever beating warm
for ireland. reverently cherishing her
memory as the birthplace OF my
father and mother. grateful to her,
and to them. for all possess Of
honor. of courage and OF ability, I
grieve that the old land is in the
throes of incipient rebellion over the
proposed conscription OF its sons.
Under ordinary conditions the Sim
Feiners would be right, hot-headed,
defiant and impractical as they so
often are. but 1t is tragical that at
this crucial period in the life Of the
British Empire their lawless spirit
should flame in the breast Of every
Irishman worthy of the name-I pur-
posely omit Ulster, always rebellious
and traitorous unless its rule-and-
ruin policy is followed, and wholly
responsible for the debacle which
confronts Lloyd George, statesman
and patriot that he is.
Ireland should have Home Rule.
And Ireland will have II even before
the ink is dry on the hated conscrip-
ton law. Why not take the good
with the bad. the bitter with the
sweet? Why not accept ''conscrip-
ton" a seeming badge Of dishonor.
but in reality a necessity for Ireland
as well as England, Scotland and
Wales?
There Is an honorable way out.
John Redmonds brother died fighting
not only for England, but for France.
for Belgium. for America. for a world
embattled and in pereil. Thouands
of other Irishmen are rendering
valiant service to the allied cause as
volunteers. Let ireland. after being
granted the Home Rule she has
prayed and fought for so long. raise
her quota by a volunteer offering.
1t will be a brave answer to the
taunt of 'conscription." 1t will be
applauded in America. always the
faithful friend of Ireland. 1t will
hearten beleaguered France, so sorely
stricken. heroic FTance-ever the
friend of Ireland. 1t will strike tor
ror to the Hun. whose cOnspiracies
so wanton and so stupid sent Roger
Easement to his death.
There is a disposition TO underrate
the services England is rendering the
Allies. but the future must record the
entrance of Great Britain into the
war, in defense of violated Belgium.
and Of France and Russia. with the
German horde invading their border.
as the noblest, most unselfish act in
the history of nations.
1 would not. by word or thought,
cancel line of the universal ac-
claim which has followed the heroism
exhibited by the women and the men
of France i'm this crucial struggle.
Their country has been invaded and
harried by a savage foe: their homes
have been wrecked: their fields scarf
fed: their loved ones done cruelty to
death. France has been bled white
in defense of its honor Its most
gifted sons have been inundated upon
a saCrificial altar. The bravery, the
patriotism. the loyalty Of this nation.
forever ennoble it. The infamous
SANDER of a "decadent France" will
never again raise its malign head.
But France had to fight. Germany
was at her throat. Paris, the heart
of France. beat TREMENDOUSLY like a
bird in the rapidly closing, mailed
hand of the Kaiser. The tragedy of
1870, set on world stage, was being
enacted over again. France would
have been a craven had it faltered
for a moment. All honor that it Of
fered a valiant breast to an implac-
able foe and fought with the cour-
age of desperation for its very life.
England's case was different. 1t
had only to accept the invasion of
Belgium by Germany as a military
necessity; permit the assault of the
coasts Of France by the German fleet
remain silent and rooted in dlshonor
TO have secured a lasting and profit
able peace for itself. without the
loss OF ship or a man. But Eng
land. refusing an alliance or an acqui-
eScence that would have boen to
its eternal discredit. rejected with
scorn the overtures Of Germany, and
in defense OF the scrap OF paper
which was Belgium's sole guarantee
Of protection. entered the war In be-
half Of justice and humanity, and Ion
the fur'herancc OF democratic princI-
pies. II was the noblest act In the
history Of nations. II wipes out CEN
turies OF dlshonor In many lands. Snd
raised England 10 those supreme
heights whore only the pure and
sreat are privileged To esIsl.
7 viii leave out tho question ~ mo.
tive TheTe may have been Jealousy