New-York tribune., 1918-12-11
Wireless Asks
Wilson toHelp
Free Ireland .
Great Crowd at Madison
Square Garden Shows 1t
Is Strongly Anti-British

Self determination for ireland was
demanded In thundrous shouts last
night by crowd waving American
flags and Sim Fcin colors that covered
the many -acred floor and filled the
high piled galleries of Madison Square
Garden. Outside in Twenty sixth
Street an overflow meeting voiced a
similar demand, while a Gordon of po-
lice kept them out of the big building
There was an anti-British flavor to
the meeting that first expressed itself
when John Finnegan's singing of the
Star-Spangled Banner" was interrupt
ed abruptly by the cheering of the
anthem which reads:
And where is that band who so vauntngly
SWOre
Mid the havoc OF war and the battles
confusion
A home and country they'd leave us no
more?
Their blood has washed out their foul foot
steps pollution.
Even then the wireless was cracking
/ OUt tillO lllSSod66 IlOiI tilo SdtuSl lifS W
President Wilson somewhere on the
Atlantic, on board the steamer George
Washington:
"Twenty- five thousand American citi-
zens, assembled in and around Madison
Square Garden, with Cardinal O'Con-
nell, of Boston, and Governor Whitman
of New York, as principal speakers,
wish ou.godspeed and safe return, and
urge you to demand at the peace con-
gress self determination for the people
of Ireland"
The message was signed by the chair
man, Justice John W. Golf, and the Sec
retary, Assistant District Attorney AL
fred j. Talley.
Governor Whitman, in his talk, said
little about selfdetermination for Ire
land, but tremendous lot of enthusi-
asm was vented at his glowing praise
of the seth Regiment.
Cardinal O'Connell's entrance, es-
corted by sn honor guard that included
some men in evening clothes and still
others garbed as Irish bag pipcrs,
brought every one in the hall to their
feet in wild demonstration of en-
! thusasm that was not cqualled during
clared:
Let the test of sincerely be ireland.
| Then we will be convinced that truth
still lives"
Seated in the front row before the
high platform draped in the green
orange and white Seln Fein colors was
United States Marshal Thomas Nc
Carthy.
The marshal, however, was there in
his official capacity and not as a Nc
Carthy. He took chair and placed it
in the centre aisle, in continuation Of
the front row of seats. and listened
carefully to the speeches, with is hands
folded during most of the oratory
Handbils printed in green ink, dis
tributed by "New York American" en-
ployes, promised a full report" of the
meeting in a future edition Of the
Hearst publication.
Ovation for Cardina.
Cardinal O'Connell was easily the
hero of the evening, and his every
move and phrase was an excuse for
cheering. He said that in finally yield
ing to repeated urgent invitations to
attend "this significant meeting" he
had listened to the voice of duty alone.
GAS the case was presented to me-,
continued the churchman, "it became
clear to my mind that to stay away
would be tantamount to the evasion
of d grave obligation to my faith, my
country and my race"
At a later point in his speech he
said:
"The war can be justified only by
the universal application of those prin-
ciples (self- f-determination) Let that
application begin with Ireland.
ireland is the oldest nation and the
longest sufferer. If these principles
what else may be done, there will be
no complete justice. no genuine sin
cerlty belevable, and the war, not
bringing justice, Will not bring peace"
Cheers for Resolution
Justice Edward j. Gavegan read a
resolution with long preamble that
was adopted by rising vote that
ended in a cheer. The resolution urged
| President Wilson to "declare at the
peace conference that the people of Ire
! land should, as a matter OF right and
justice, be governed only in accordance
with their consent and that the will of
the majority, ascertained by plebis-
cite of the adult population, be adopted
as the sovereign will of the people,
instead of the present foreign will Of
force"
! Others who spoke and who occupied
positions of prominence on the plat
form were Judge Daniel F.. Cohalan,
John Dewey. editor of "The Gaelic
American"; Vicar General Mooney, of
the Archdiocese of New York; James
p. Hastings, secretary OF the United
Irish American societies; and at least
one member of the Goth, who limped
to the stand after the meeting began.
! This man wore wound stripe and
service stripes indicating at least one
year in France.
Held over the heads of the crowd in
| Twenty~siXth Street were numerous
black -lettcred cardboard signs. One of
these read: "lreland Is the Test of
Americas Sincerity in the War" An
other: "Is Not Ireland as Entitled to
Freedom as Other Small Nations =
| One asked: "What About Self f-Dcter-