The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-05-13
LABOR MEMBER OF
BRITISH CABINET
TELLSOF PROBLEMS
Says Maurice Incident Will
Be Forgotten Soon, But
the Irish Question Is
Still Alive

London, May 12.-George Nicon Barnes,
labor member of the war cabinet, pre-
sided this afternoon at a great meeting
in Kensington theatre, under the aus
pices of the national war aims commit
tee, held to welcome Martin +. Ryan,
president Of the Brotherhood of Railway
Carmen, and Miss Agnes Nestor, presi-
dent of the Womans Trades Union
league, of Chicago, who are members OF
the American labor mission now in Lon
don. Mr.. Barnes said that the letter of
Gen. Frederick 3. Maurice to the press,
charging the government with coneealing
the real facts of the military situation,
was an incident which soon would be
forgotten. There was far more grave
question in the situation in Ireland.
1t might seem that while we are fight
ing for small nationalities and leaving
Ireland alone, we are rather inconsist-
ent," Mr.. Barnes continued. Things,
however, are not so simple as they look
when seen from a distance. Ireland has
two units and they are as widely sepa-
rated in ideals and the outlook of the
ordinary life as it is possible for two
people 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 govern
mont The difficulties, however, must
be solved.
ireland must have it's parliament,
so must Scotland, and so must Wales.
AT the present time Ireland is doing little
to take part in war which concerns
her as much as any other part of the
empire. Moreover, Ireland is absorbing
many thousands of our soldiers, who
would much better be employed in fight
ing the Germans. 1t is up to us to lind
n way out of the difficulty and we must
try to bring the two parties together"
The American labor representatives,
who have returned to London after a
visit to France. were under fire several
times on their trip to the front, but
none of them was hit. William Short,
president of the Seattle Federation of
Labor. described the experiences of the
delegates at the American front in an
interview today. "The American boys
seem to be in excellent spirits and
anxious to do lot more fighting than
they have been privileged to do thus
far" he said. ''They are much elated
at Lne DQSSlDlltlS OIL IiOit Lib IlbIlls9' w Z
were under fire several times during
the journey. but none of US was
struck.
On being asked for his impression
as to the general situation, Mr.. Short
replied:
everything we have seen in France
and Great Britain has emphasized 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
greatest number of men possible. We
know Germany can be whipped, but
the sooner America sends all her re-
sources the sooner the job will be fin
ished. 1t is not going to be finished
until that is done, and every day lost
every man withheld, is merely cauS-
ing unnecessary sacrifices
THAT is the message we are goins
to take back to our people. We know
Great Britain and France have done
more than their share. They have
done all they can do, and much more
than ought to have been done without
the aid of the whole civilized world
This has been a fight for civilization
from the beginning, and the greatest
mistake of the whole situation has
been the failure of America and other
countries to recognize this"