Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-05-30
SAYS IRELAND
HAS NO CHANCE
Mayor of Limerick Declares
There Is Practical Side
to independence

Limerick, Ireland, May 30.-The
1rishmens claim to political inde-
pendence is not wholly sentimental,
according to Alphonsus O'Mara, May
or of Limerick and one of its leading
manufacturers. There is, he says, a
much more practical side of the
question, the desire for economic in
dependence and the opportunity for
industrial advancement which the
Irishmarr feels he can never attain
until he is permitted to make his
own laws and deal authoritatlVely
with his own problems.
Material advantages have come
out of every movement of the Irish
for freedom, but the main grievance
remains" said Mr.. O'Mara. The one
point is We are heavily oVertaxed.
This year England is making a profit
of twenty millions out of us. That
is, she is taxing us thirty-five mil
lions, and giving us government
which costs her no more than III
teen millions. These figures are not
ours but hers. We have. EnglaE'd's
word for it.
Money Aids England
ireland has improved it's position
in the past years, but we have not
advanced industrially. We lack
capital and we lack confidence be-
cause England and England's states
men have told us that we are not
fit to govern ourselves, that we lack
those essentials which make for self
government of the mass and there
fore of the individual. Our farming
population, absorbing this sentiment
through oft reiteration, have with
held their money wheT it was need
ed by Irish enterprise. They have
deposited it in banks, vast sums OF
it, and the money has been loaned
to Englishmen, for the development
of the English industry.
Limerick some rs years ago had
a prosperous mercantile marine.
Now the Shannon bears not on its
bosom a single ship that can call
Limerick its home port.
Also we had a fine textile in
dustry, with more textile workers in
Ireland than there were then in
England. But that has gone the way
of the ships.
1--WE have here the finest river in
the world for shipbuilding. We
could lire the shores of the Shannon
with busy shipyards and workshops,
but the people who would take the
initiative have not the money, and
able of self government, the people
who have the money will not lend
it to those who could use it.
Must Remain Silent.
The world is passing through an
Industrial crisis. Every ration
America, England, France and even
Germany is making preparations for
world trade. But Ireland is not al
lowed to take any industrial step
that would help her people here at
home. Why, the British government
even refused me a passport wheE l
wanted to go to America to place
The natural advantages of Limerick
before your investors and shipown-
ers. So here we are, high and dry,
with the ocean of prosperity all
around u.s..
I'VE could only take the steps
necessary to develop this country if
we were assured Ireland would be
allowed to make it's own laws and
provide it's owr governments for in
40 other way could we give American
investors any guarantee that Eng
land would not tax their investm ents
out of existence.
81 don't have a great deal of faith
IN what the rest of the world is
going to do for us unless we do some
Thing for ourselves. We have stated
our principles, and at the present
moment a government of the peo-
pie of Ireland is in office at Dublin.
Of course this government can't have
any real power until England with
draws her army of occupation and
that can oEly be brought about by
pressure from outside of Ireland"