The Irish standard., 1919-11-01

which was most essential for their sue.
cess-the factor Of external help from
without.
And this is how it will operate. Sup.
pose on the morrow of the signing of
the covenant Spain were to be in SYM
pathy with Ireland, and, wishing to be
more than in sympathy. wished to give
US active support, as she did a couple
OF centuries ago. She would first of
all be met by the fact that her own
signature forbade her to do it; and,
second, by the fact that even if she
were to neglect the contract which
she had signed, she would have ar
rayed against her not merely England,
but every other nation. including your
own, which England could call upon,
because she would say that Spain, in
helping Ireland. was attacking the in
tesrity of Britain and was seeking to
disintegrate Britain's empire-trying
to take away Ireland which you will
have inferentially admitted to be a
part of Britain's dominions without
/ even examining Britain's title-taking
Ireland away from what she claims
no matter how unjustly-what she
claims to be a part Of her dominions
And therefore Spain would have to
face not merely England, in order to
help us, but would have to face a
world leagued in arms against us. And
in the same way, suppose France tried
to do in the future what she did in
those cases that Mr.. Boland spoke
about, the expeditions of Humbert, and
if Holland tried to do it, France and
Holland too would be dealt with exact
ly as Spain would be dealt with And
SO it would be. If, for instance the
League OF Nations had been in eNis
tence before Cuba became indepen
dent, what would have happened you
if you were to give help to Cuba
Then, at once, Spain would have asked
every nation in the world-first Of ALL
l will point out your own signature
would have forbidden you to do it. and
that if you ignored that signature, then
Spain would have been able to array
against you. under the promise Of that
covenant, every nation in the world
because Spain would say that your
action was external aggression on her
territory.
And not merely that, but what would
happen il you. in the future, tried to
give active sympathy to us? IT, for
instance, you, realizing that the Irish
republic was, in accordance with your
principles, the legitimate government
OF Ireland, as undoubtedly it is, and
that il you wanted to give more than
mere sympathy-if you dared for Il
moment to give anything like active
upon every nation in the world to at.
tack you, because you were threaten
ing the integrity of England's domin-
ions. Your action she would claim to
be external aggression from without,
and not merely would your soldiers
have to go over and attack Spain and
attack other countries that might help
Ireland, but if you yourselves dared
to help her, then every nation in the
world would be arrayed against you,
because England would claim, as |
have said, that your action was ex.
ternal aggression.
And therefore it is that the proposed
covenant of the league of nations is
a proposition to rivet the shackles
still more tightly on Ireland, and we
believe the American people do not
want to do that; and not merely on
Ireland but it would rivet the shackles
on every subject nation.
J. Why, this proposed League of Ma
tions is not League of Nations at
all 1t is not a League of Nations,
but it is a League of Empires. Or, if
it would be technically incorrect to say
it is a League of Empires, don't you
see It is League Of Powerful States
powerful states. Take England as one
Of them. England simply wants, hav-
ing now gotten one-third of the world
in her grip, having secured naval
supremacy Of the world, and owning
territory on which "the sun never
SETS" she wants you and every ma
tion to guarantee that she may be kept
in perpetual possession of them. Gap
plause)
In order that l may not be misun-
derstood in this question. ] would point
out to you that here opposed to the
League Of Nations you have two par
ties In fact, it is a world question,
as you know because the whole world
is involved in this League Of Nations; ;
and if you examine either America or
the world as whole, you will find
that there are two classes opposed to
the League of Nations covenant as it