South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-13
ERIN PROBLEM
IS DIFFICULT
SAYS LABOR
Irish Situation Discussed at
Meeting Held to Welcome
American Labor Leaders
Arriving in London.

LONDON. May 13.-George Nicon
Barnes. labor member of the war
cabinetf presided Sunday afternoon
at a great meeting in Kensington
theater under the auspices Of the "a
tional war aims committee, held 10
welcome Martin r. Ryan. president
Of the Brotherhood Of Railway Car
men, and Miss Agnes Nestor, presi-
dent Of the Women's Trade Union
league of Chicago. who are mem
bers of the American labor mission
now in London.
Mr.. Barnes said that the letter Of
Gen. Frederic B. Maurice TO the
press, charging that the govern
ment was concealing the real facts
Of the military situation, was an in
cident which soon would be forgot
ten There was a far more grave
/ question in the situation in Ireland.
1T might seem that while we are
lighting for small nationalities and
I leaving Ireland alone, we are rather
Inconsistent" Mr.. Barnes continued.
Situation Not Simple.
Things. however. are not so
simple as they look when seen from
4 a distance. ireland has two units
and they are as widely separated in
I ideals and the outlook Of ordinary
| life as it is possible for two peoples
to be. and the difficult problem is TO
| harmonic public feeling in Ireland
and at the same time uphold unity
in the United Kingdom.
Labor is in COMPLETE sympathy
with Irish national sentiment" the
speaker asserted, "but the problem
is the most difficult one that could
face any government. The difficult
ties, however. must be solved. Ire
land must have its parliament, so
must Scotland and so must Wales.
At the present time, Ireland is do
ing little TO take part in a war which
concerns her as much as any other
part of the empire. Moreover. Ire
land is absorbing many thousands
Of our soldiers who would be much
better employed in fighting the
Germans. 1t is up to us to find a
way out of this difficulty and we
must Il W ~ MS NllC AN' pan lAto
together"
The American labor representa-
tives. who have returned to London
after a visit 10 France were under
fire several times on their trip to
the front, but none of them was hit
Delegates Tell Exerience.
William Short president of the
Seattle Federation OF Labor, de-
scribed the experiences of the dele
gates at the American front. in az
interview today
The American boys seem TO be
in excellent spirits and anxious to
do a lot more fighting than they
have been privileged 70 do thus far"
he said. They are much elated at
the possibility OF more fighting We
We're under fire several times during
the journey, but none Of lis struck.
on being asked for his impression
as to the general situation Mr.. Short
replied:
Everything we have seen i'm
France and Great Britain has en-
phasiZed the conviction we had
when we came here. that America
must get into this with both hands
and both feet. She must use all her
resources and send over the great
est number of men possible We
know Germany can be whipped. but
the sooner America sends all her
resources. the sooner the job will
be finished. 1t is not going 10 be
finished until that is done. and every
day lost. every man withheld. is
merely causing unnecessary. sacri-
fees.
This is the message we are going
10 take back 10 our people, We
know that Britain and France have
done more than their share They
have done all they can do, and
much more than they ought TO have
10 do without the aid Of the whole
civilized world This has been a
fight for civilization from the begin
ming and the greatest mistake of the
whole situation has been the failure
Of America and other couD,r ies to
recognize this "