New-York tribune., 1918-05-23
Every Faction Claims Sup
port of American Public
Opinion on Situation
British Plot Charged
Feud Between Revolutionists
and Nationalists Grows
More Bitter

DUBLIN, May 22.-"What does Amer
;ca think?" is the question which all
schools of Irish opinion have been ask
ing since the arrests of Sim Fein
leaders on Saturday morning. Every
faction claims the support of American
opinion, and each section quotes freely
whatever American comment it can
collect in support of its own particular
point of view.
Not a single one Of to-day's papers,
whether Unionist or Nationalist, omits
referring to the American attitude in
long leading articles. The "Freeman's
Journal" the official organ of the Irish
party, heads its editorial page with the
following:
"An effort to stampede American
opinion has been completely foiled.
There is complete suspense of judg-
ment in America on the charge of pro-
German conspiracy against the men ar
rested. Warnings have been given that
proof must be quickly forthcoming or
America would come to the conclusion
that the plot, if there is a plot, is not
4 pro-German one"
Paper Accuses Government
"The Dublin Independent" in long
editorial, accused the government of
making the arrests with view to
turning American opinion against Ire
land and preventing the Lord Mayor of
Dublin. as Ireland's representative,
ington. The proclamation of Field
Marshal French had scarcely been
cabled when there came back quota
tons from the American press based
on the assumption that the story of a
German plot was true"
The Dublin correspondent of the
sLondon Daily News" writes: "The
pivot of the Irish front is in Washing
ton. Dublin is enjoying an unexampled
invasion by American newspaper men
and any one who sees the way they go
about their work must admit their
serious purpose and their open minded
ness to impressions. They have a
yoracious appetite for the opinions of
ing humanity we'll by sending the facts
across the water"
Would Let America Be Judge
Denis Kilbridge, member of Parlia-
ment from South Kildare, and one of
the OlQeSt members OIL tH0 1IlSU party,
in q speech to his constituents last
night urged Irishmen to put their case
against conscription before the Amer
lean public, which, he said, would judge
it Justly.
aThe tenor of recent comment from
America" he said, "is that Americans
cannot understand why Irishmen op-
pose conscription in view of the fact
that conscription is now fact in the
United States. The answer is obvious.
If Irishmen are to be conscripted, it is
the Irish themselves who should carry
it out 1t was the people of the United
States that imposed conscription there
and Americans would rise in revolt
against any other people debating to
them"
The events of the last few days have
not drawn as much support to the Sim
Feiners as they expected from the
more moderate Irish parties. Indeed,
there are indications that the feud be-
tween the Sim Fein and the National
lists has only grown more bitter
Attitude of Two Factions
To sum up the attitude of the two
factions, it may be said that the Ma
tionalists believe in constitutional
methods of settling the Irish question.
while the Sim Fein demands revolu-
ton, and the Nationalists consider
that the Sim Feners by their revolu-