The Irish standard., 1918-08-10
Appeal For Recruits
And the Tradegy Of Missed oppor-
tunity-From The Dublin Freeman.

From one point of view, at least,
Lord French's appeal for recruits for
the Irish Divisions will commend it.
self to the Irish people. AS practical
abandonment of the policy of conscrip-
ton it will come as an intense relief
to all classes in Ireland and to every
responsible man who has any true con-
ception of what the consequences of
the forcible CONSUMPTION of the man.
hood of the country would inevitably
have been. The united opposition of
the nation to that mad policy has COM
PEELED the Government to second
thoughts upon the problem before
them, and the result has been to justi-
fly the old proverb. The result will also
confirm the rooted conviction of those
Irishmen who have always believed
that a united Ireland would hold the
determination of it's own fate and for
tunes in it's own hands. There could
not have been more critical test of
the doctrine than the CONSUMPTION
menace, nor more triumphant proof
of it's soundness than the success of
the united national protest against it.
That success should convince the peo-
pie that united they can win any Irish
cause upon which they set their hearts.
In this trial the adhesion and the lead
of the Irish Bishops was of priceless
service to the people. The nation is
filled with deep sense of apprecia-
ton of that service. The prompt re-
spouse of the Bishops to the appeal of
the Mansion House Conference and
the decisive action which they took
have been, under Providence, I'M
doubleday the main cause of rescuing
the country from the disasters with
which it was threatened. A new bond
OF national gratitude has been estab-
lished between pastors and people.
The Government for once have
shown common sense in falling back
upon the only method by which SOL
diers for the Allied cause can be
sought in Ireland without producing
ruinous results. We are back at "the
free will offering" which Mr. Asquith
invited, and could it be added "of a
free people" there would be little
doubt of the response. Unfortunately
that phrase Of Mr.. Asquith proved to
be only a phrase. 1t is melancholy to
contrast the circumstances in which
the campaign of voluntary recruiting
is being renewed with the circumstan-
ces in which it was first undertaken.
There would never have been any ne.
cessity for a second appeal, or any
cause to contemplate CONSUMPTION had
the spirit of Mr.. Asquith's pledges in
Dublin been observed. It only needed
a rational and sympathetic attitude to-
wards Ireland on the part of the Brit
ish Government to obtain every man
more than Ireland could afford. They
have executed and imprisoned as re.
bells men who were willing to fight for
the Allied cause if permitted to fight
as free men. What tragedy it was
that a succession of Administrations
should have spoilt by their blunders
and "malignities" the fair prospects
with which the recruiting campaign
was undertaken.
Recruits were joining at the rate of
1000 fit men week, which meant Of
fers of $500 men a week when the
formation of the Coalition, the inclu-
sion of Sir Edward Carson in the
Government, and the beginning of the
Die-hard raids on the Irish Executive
drove the figures down to less than
400. 1t is scarcely necessary to recall
that disastrous story-how the War
Office assisted the Orchards by it's
rejection of the offers of the Volun-
teers, its refusal, until compelled by
agitation, to form even one Irish Di-
Division, its rejection of the proposal
that the Irish regiments should have
Irish officers, its appointment of the
disemployed Unionist electioneering
agents for the recruiting platforms in
Ireland, and its complete subordina-