The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-19
BRILLIANT YOUNG IRISH STATESMAN
 DISCUSSES IRISH INDEPENDENCE

! correspondent, who Is at present i1 ! America, and who writes (March 19): (In the crowds Con St. Pat ricks Day) I overheard many
 conversations which convinced me utterly that there will be no absolutely friendship between England and America until Ire lands desires have been granted. and I prayed to God that this may happen, to safeguard the peace of the world, which de bends upon American goodwill Either Ireland should be given re presentation at the Peace Conference the same as other small nationalities, or the right of self determination ought to be conceded her-preferably the latter.
 The British Government has failed to settle the question. Constitutional action in Parliament has failed to settle it. Unless, then, the professed 1 sympathy of England for the freedom of small nations Is mere pretence and hunnbug, Ireland is entitled to the
 self determination for which Presi- dent Wilson stands. Ireland is the acid teet of British good faith.
 A settlement on those lines would 1 convince the world that England was
 in earnest in her professions. It | would satisfy Ireland and the friends of Ireland everywhere, and would thus contribute powerfully to the | peace of the world. It would lead inn mediateIy to the establishment of gen uine and laSting friendship between ] Ireland and England. And England never had more need for the friend ship of Ireland than she has at this moment, or than she is likely to have ! in the troubled years immediately be- fore her.
 The ''WeeEly Despatch" has the fol- | lowing leading article heading ! Fun bIirg''-How long is the policy | of Wait and see" to continue in Ire land? From time to time during the war we were told that the settlement of the Irish question was an urgent war measure. It is equally true to say that 1t is an essential problem of l the peace. There are three powerful reasons which should not only justify but compel the Government to tackle the problem without delay. The pres ent system can only be maintained by
 a standing army in Ireland. The con- tinued hostility of the Irish is g, con- stant peril to our good relations with America which all thinking people re- gard as the keystone of the future l-race of the world. In embarrassment of the troubIous times which lie ahead of us as a nation it is certain that the Irish question will confront us and a g. gravate our difficulties precisely when they are most acute. MT. DeVlin' s vigorous indictment of our past fail ures bIunders and neglected oppor- tunities published in this issue is more convincing than the contribution he
 offe-s to the solution of the problem.
 He puts forward the alternative of ad-
 mission to the Peace Conference or self determination. The record of the Conference does not inspire hope. Its
 dilatory and unsatisfactory treatment
 of other problems leads us to believe
 that it's handling of the Irish ques-
 ton would produce embarrassment to
 England without benefit to Ireland.
 On the other hand self-deterIninatfon
 under present conditions would prob
 ably lead to results intolerable to
 England and contrary to the true per rranent interests of Ireland. MT. DeV-
 lin significantly omits to mention the
 dominant factor in the Irish situ;'-ion
 today-the predominance Of sinn
 Fein in the parliamentary representa-
 ton of Ireland. This imposes duty
 uDon the Government. They should
 present to Ireland an alternative to
 the Sim Fein accompanied by indIs-
 Dutable proofs of their sincerity. Such
 action would strengthen encoura ge, and consolidate the healthy elements
 in Irish politics. Light would at once
 arise on the western horion.