Norwich bulletin., 1919-05-26
STRONG PLEA FOR RELAND'S FREEDOM

ants of Ireland get along together just as peacefully. just as quietly as Ill America, England or in any otAaT country. Quite tfue Ireland has had ! some very sharp religious feuds But ; we here in New England haven't t9 So very far back to find religious differ ences batbed in blood. If the religious i contentious that have entered into the l lives of the Irish people be rneas spred up against the religious differences ] that have arisen in any other country, they will be found to be not any more numerous.
 You win find nothing religious in the 1 Irish question. It is the American edi- 1 tors and the British propagandists who are raising the religious argument. The
 fact of it Is that the Irish question is essentially a political and economic question and it's economic feature Is the chief feature of all English rule I in Ireland has been a continual failure Populations don't decrease i'll lands that are well geverned-they grow. 1 Ireland has proven an exceedingly i juicy plum for England to squeeze England has been taking ont an enoru ous toll through unjust taxation. Last year England took out of Ireland one 1, hundred and fifty million dollars. Of ] this sixty million was spent in Ire ! land (for police, military upkeep, etc.) ] The other ninety million dollars was clear profit.
 1 Last year England had trade with 1 Ireland amounting to over $s2o, 900 ,0a6, actually larger than her trade with America. England has made 1t lmpoS- sible for Ireland to trade with any other nation except through England. ! We ask the American people to study this question and then they will realize why England purposes to hold onto Ireland. They will realize the necessity of aiding the Irish people to secure for Ireland it's God-given right to control its own destiny.
 The Irish people are separate and
 jdistinet race. They have a language,
 literature and culture of their own.
 ' And if it so be. as Mr. Wilson has
 said, that every people has q right to
 choose it's form of government, it
 would be illuminating for Mr. Wilson
 tte explain why Ireland alone is to be
 deprived of this right. It will be well
 for the American people to watch the
 news as it comes from the Versailles
 peace conference.
 : England is pro Ing today what Eng
 land has proven for centuries, thai
 English diplomacy can win victories 1 where ErlLlSn arms can [.
 In closing Mir Splaine said he called on the people of America to lend the , oppressed Irish ice their aid unti ! Ireland is permitted once again to taks it's place among the free and legitimate
 nations of the earth, so that it migh not be said that to Ireland alone i: ; denied that democracy for which the whole world has been at war.
 Mrs. F. L. Farrell then entertained , with sweetly rendered vocal solo , Killarney, and was followed by J. J z Connolly who also entertained with al
 excellently rendered vocal selection. : Mayor Desmond introduced as tn. } final speaker Rev. Arthur Baun1eister remarks Rev. Baumeister said: ' We have heard it said that Ireland : 1 is unable to rule herself. How can 1 : be said that Ireland is unable to ruI'
 herself when she has never been givei } the chance? Now is the time to pu her to the test. And if she shouis Ipreye unable to govern herself (whici 5 she won') we have thousands, hun 5 dreds Of thousands of statesmen whom ] we can and will send over there to hefl 5 those people and show them how t : rule themselves. The speaker raised ; ' laugh when he asked: Did you eve
  7 i the Irish; and could this great countr r Of ours ever lose a war with tn : Irish?
 f Continuing he said: England doesn' g want Ireland to have her freedom ] Poland almost has hers. The Ukran I fans are looking for it. And if the
 shall have 1t, as it looks they Will, S I shall Ireland have it. England want ;, these others to have their freedom be n cause it is to her advantage. Bu ;. England doesn't want Ireland to hay r her freedom because it is to her ad = vantage. As his closing words Re, !, BaumeisteT said he looked for the tim }. soon to come when Ireland will , s peacefully and serenely surrendered [ ] her own : The closing number on the evening 2 programme was ezcellentIy rendere y vocal selection, When Ireland Come t Into Her Own, by Henry Fontaine. t The chairman announced, before tn
 audience dispersed, that anyone wll 5, wished to become affiliated wit t George Washington Branch, might " so by giving or sending their name e Lieut. Charles Cassidy who is secret = ary of the branch.
 t An American flag, the green flag wit $ harp of Ireland, and the green, whit
 and orange flag proposed for thc Iris ! republic hung from the flies on Ii E stage over the heads of those seate : there.