The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-04-09
HOUSE REFUSES
HEARINGS UPON
IRISH QUESTION
Many Resolutions Pending
But Chairman Flood Says
They Would Embarrass
Country.
SENDS LETTER TO
ORGANIZATIONS
Explains Why It Is Inadvis-
able to Take Up Matter
at the Present Time.

Washington, April S-No public
hearings are to be given on the many
resolutions introduced in the House
on the Irish question.
Chairman Flood of the foreign af-
fairs committee today notified all
those who have asked for hearings
that there will be none because they
would be. an interference and an en-
barrassment to a co-belligerent of the
United States.
A letter setting forth this decision
has been sent to large numbers of in
dividuals, organizations and others
who asked for hearings. John J.
Curley, city collector of Boston was
one of these. Chairman Floods letter
to him follows:
Some days ago I received a letter
from you, addressed to me as chairman
of the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
in exactly the same phraseology as a
letter sent me on March IA by Mrs.
Hannah sheehy skeffington, of Ire
land, which letter was signed by a
number of ladies and gentlemen from
New York, Philadelphia, and other
places. Since receiving your letter,
have received a number of these let
tiers, and viii probably receive many
more of them.
I'm your letter, you call the atten-
ton of the Committee on Foreign At
fairs to resolutions which have been
introduced in the House of Represen-
tatives, recognizing the political indie
pendence of Ireland, and dealing with
other phases of the Irish question,
and requesting that a date be set, for
a public hearing by the Committee on
Foreign Affairs to (a) those represent
atives whose resolutions on the Irish
Committee on Foreign Affairs for con-
sideration, and CD to the representa-
ives of responsible and patriotic Or
CARNATIONS of Americans who have
filed petitions with the Speaker of the
House and with the committee in be-
half of those resolutions.
81 have given careful consideration
to your communication, and the other
letters Of similar character, as we'll
as to the resolutions to which they re-
fer; and have reached the conclusion
that it would not be for the public in
terest, at the present time, to grant
your request for such a hearing. The
serious consideration by the Commit
tee on Foreign Affairs of these resolu-
lions might well be considered as con-
shutting an interference in the inter-
nal affairs of another nation, and that
nation one of our co-belligerents; and
could scarcely fail to prove source
Of serious embarrassment to a nation
associated with the United States in
| the war.
81, therefore regret that my sense
of duty, not only to this country, but
also to nation associated with the
United States in the war, makes it
necessary to give an unfavorable
answer to your request for such a
| public hearing
Congress has been bombarded with
pleas in various forms for action on
| the Irish home rule question for many
years and the movement of the Irish
organizations and individuals became
acute at the last session of Congress
and was renewed in the present ses.
sion.
Speaker Clark, Democratic Leader
of the appropriations committee, Rep
resentatives Gallivan, O'Shaunessy OF
| Rhode Island Lenroot of Wisconsin,
| Webb of North Carolina, and approx
mately 1875 other Democratic and Re-
publican members of the House, to-
gether with the Socialist member,
| joined in a message which they cabled
| on April 2Sth of last year, to Lloyd
George urging settlement of the Irish
problem.
I'VE, as members of the American
| Congress-" they cabled, Suggest that
nothing will add more to the enthusi-
/ asm of America in this war than a
| settlement now of the Irish problem.
| We believe that all Americans will be
deeply stirred and their enthusiastic
effort enlisted if the British empire
will now settle this problem in &C
cordance with the principles an
nounced by President Wilson in his
address to Congress asking it to de-
| clare war on autocracy for the world
wide safety of democracy and Of
small nationalities."
Irish nationalists, at a mass meeting
| of $500 persons in Buffalo last April
| to commemorate the first anniversary
of the Irish (Easter week) rebellion
| of 1916, and as memorial for those
executed, adopted resolutions which
besides support to America in the wal
| requested that Congress demand OF
England that she Immediately declare
Ireland's independence, the psycholo-
| gical effect of which action on the
American soldiers of Irish birth OF
| extraction would be apparent, the
| resolutions said.
Resolutions calling for action by
| Congress on the Irish question have
been introduced by Representatives
| Mccormick and Mason of Illinois
Rankin of Montana, Cary of Wiscon-
sin, Mclaughlin and NORM of Penn
| sylvania, and others.