The Irish standard., 1919-09-27

t1Ou VI 1910 the Slim FelnerS swept
the country, being victorious in 73 out
OF the total of 1O1 Parliamentary dis
tricts in Ireland. The subsequent
events in the growth and development
OF this party, now the political spear
head of Ireland, and are of such re-
cent occurrence that they need not be
recounted in this article.
Industry, Commerce and Finance,
The decline of Ireland's population
from over 100000 in 1841 to 4,39O,219
In 1911 constitutes an index of her
losses along other lines, in industry.
commerce, education and in the many
elements that enter into the social
and economic life of a nation. Saws
the eminent Bishop Berkely, an Irish
man, Can there be worse sign than
that people should quit their country
for livelihood? Whether this be not
exceeding bad and showeth some pe-
cullar mismanagement?" During the
periods of foreign occupation of the
territory of Alsace-Lorraine and also
Schleswig-Holste by the Germans,
and of Poland by Germany, Austria
and Russia, the population of these
places continued to increase, and
measure of prosperity was en-
JOSSu w CA0ll. Willie EnRllSn
domination in Ireland has uniformly
tended to produce the reverse of these
conditions = depopulation, decay and
poverty. England holds an almost
complete monopoly of the business of
Ireland in virtue of her control of the
seas and her financial authority over
the Irish banks. Ninety-five per cent
of 1reland's trade is per force done
with and through England. The bank
deposits of the Irish banks are divert
ed from their natural and true function
OF developing the resources and in
dustries of the land whence they are
derived, and are placed at the disposal
OF English manufacturers, merchants,
and traders to promote English inter-
ests. In 1918 England profiteered by
taxation in Ireland the sum of $1O5,-
100000, in excess of the expenses of
government" which is placed at 49,
100000 pounds. Her total Irish prof.
teering balance for that year is esti-
mated at $225,OOO,OOO The twenty
magnificent harbors of the Irish coast
are suffered to remain without devel>
opment lest the English ports might
lose some of their prestige by com.
petition. The railroads are neglected,
and all attempts on the part of Irish
business men to improve the old ones
and build new lines have until re-
Gently been thwarted by opposition
from England. It is but few years
ago since the cost of shipping barrel
of flour from Galway to Dublin was
as much as that from Chicago to Liv-
erpoOl Based upon the report of the
Childers Commission, appointed in
1894 by Gladstone to investigate the
0f T,,Sc f0x, l.,
estimated by competent authorities
that since the Union of 1901 England
has wrung from an impoverished ma
tion in excess of the expenses of ad-
ministration, the staggering sum of
$1,7OO,000,0 greater amount by
far than the indemnity exacted by Ger
many from France after the war of
1870. From these evidences of British
profiteering it is quite easy to sc
why John Bull is reluctant to let go
of Ireland-one of his numerous finan-
ical Snaps" If Ireland were estab-
lished as self-governing nation it is
clear that the sordid Britishers would
lose very profitable avenue of ex-
ploitation and profiteering.
The Visible and Invisible British
Empire.
1t will not be amiss at this critical
juncture of international world affairs
for Americans to take a glance at
both the visible and invisible British
Empire, which emerges from the war
In control of approximately one-third
of the population and territory of the
whole world-something that is stud
fously camouflaged in most of our
newspapers, periodicals and maga-
zines. Hitherto that Empire has held
the commercial and financial leader
ship Of the nations, and has jealously
and indefatfgably labored to maintain
that status in every age and in all
parts of the globe. The sun never sets