The Irish standard., 1918-04-13

| tional right than was ever claimed in
this house. The defense of the realm
act also was extended to Ireland.
Quarrel Is lreland's.
"The character of the quarrel in
which we are engaged is just as much
Irish as English. May say it is more
so. 1t is more Irish, Scotch and Welsh
than it is even English. Ireland
through its representative at the be-
ginning of the war assented to it.
ireland Assented.
| ireland, through it's representa-
tlves, assented to the war, voted for
the war, supported the war; Irish rep
reentatives and Ireland, through it's
representatives without dissenting
voice, committed the empire to this
war. They are as responsible for it
as any part of the United Kingdom.
May l just read the declaration is.
sued by the Irish party on December
IL, 1914, shortly after the war began:
(Mr Byrne interrupted with: I'VE
have had a revolution since then.'O
"This is the declaration of the Irish
party:
"A test to search mems souls has
arisen. The empire is engaged in the
most serious war in history. It is q
just war provoked by the intolerant
military despotism of Germany. It is
a war for the defense of sacred rights
and liberties of small nations and the
respect and enlargement of the great
principles OF nationality. Involved in
II is the fate or France our kindred
country and the chief nation of that
power of the Celtic race to which we
belong; the fate or Belgium, to whom
we are attached by the same great ties
OF race and by the common desire of
small nations to assert their freedom
and the fate Of Poland, whose suffer-
| 1ngs and struggles bear so marked
resemblance to our own.
IreIands Stand
1T is war for the high ideals of
human government and international
relations and Ireland would be false
TO her history and to every considera-
t1on OF honor, good faith and self in
tcrest did not she willingly bear her
share in it's burdens and it's sacri-
fices'"
it is not merely illogical that Ire
land should not help, it is unjust. If
lit were merely England's battle, the
iyonng men of Ireland might regard
that fact with Indifference, but it is
not. They are just as much con-
cerned as the young men of England.
Therefore, it is proposed to extend
conscription Of the same conditions as
Great Britain.
AS there is no machinery in exist
ence and no register has as yet been
completed in Ireland, it may take some
weeks before active enrollments be-
sin. AS soon as arrangements are
complete the government will put the
act into immediate operation.
Meanwhile, we intend to invite
parliament to pass a. measure for self
government for Ireland"
English Newspaper Comment.
Most OF the newspapers agree with
the principles of Premier Lloyd
Georges man-power appeal. There is
no quarrel with it, but several papers
declare there is need for caution.
The Daily Mail says, however, that
the choice which is now being made is
between victory and defeat, adding:
| mo faint-heartedness of the surviv-
ors must make the sacrifice of our
dead in vain.'
! There is no other course than that
proposed, it adds, "as Russia has
failed us and the United States has
not been able to send us armies in
time"
I Cannot Be Excluded.
| The paper says that Irishmen can
not be excluded when men of so in
England are being called up for serv-
ice.
On the other hand, the Daily News
agrees that whatever steps will fur
ther the prosecution of the war must
be adopted, but says:
"1n striking balance we must sat-
tsfy ourselves that the gain will be
more than the loss.
For every battalion it brings in It
will mean the loss of two needed to
hold in check an indignant people
stung once more into open rebellion"
The Daily Chronicle says:
The attempt to enact Irish con-
scription at this juncture is blunder
and catastrophe"
] No government measure, the Times
| Continued on page 81,