The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-25
Agitation in U. S.

The president indeed, has been beset
! from the start by an agitation in this
! country on behalf Of Ireland whose
| capacity for opposition to the treaty
| ttoclf has never been underestimate
Mr. Wilson felt at Paris thut II England
would only do something on the Irish
| problem, his own task in behalf Of the
| treaty would he made easier He re-
| allied how sensitive the British were
| about receiving suggestions from the
| out side lie knew how Americans might
| feel If Great Britain suddenly decided
u advise tho United States to make
good her pledge, given 90 years ago to
the Philippines. To grant them independ-
enCe He was trying the handle the
matter informally and it Is fact that
he had brought Premier Lloyd George
to the point of suggesting something
| concrete, even to the extent of getting
hearing for Messrs Walsh and Dunno,
when the latter went to ireland min
gcd with the Sim l'elners and British
opinion became so inflamed that the
prime minister did not dare to receive
the Irish American delegates.
But that Is water over the dam, When
Mr. Wilson got back to this country he
Is known to have told his friends that
he believed that until Great Britain
did something about the Irish problem,
America would continue TO look askance
at the British attitude and misunder-
standings would not he removed be-
tween the two great English speaking
peoples. Now the British prime minis
ter has spoken. The plan he proposes
will not please the Sim Feiners or
scCessiOnists, who favor an absolute
separation from English rule, but the
idea Of autonomy Cor Ireland is regard
ed by most observers here in the gov
eminent as splendid step forward
which will afford tho opportunity for
separation later on, II the Irish people
Should so desire II.
In other words tho move Is APP
proved for its immediate rather than
| Its remote value. II would give Ire
land q status ms self-governing state,
which would entitle her to vote In
the assembly OF the league of nations
along with Canada, or Australia, or
South Africa, Instead Of being on the
outside looking in, Ireland would be on
the inside on terms Of equality with
other autonomous states. She could
argue her own case there and would
not need TO have her problem brought
before the assembly. Through the friend
Is intervention Of some outside power
under the provisions of the famous
article 4. Autonomy would mean MEM
hcrship as free nation in the interna-
tional partnership provided for In the
! covenant OF the peace treaty.
| He would be an ontmlst, indeed, who
| believed that the opposition OF the irish
in the United States treaty would be
| removed by the single proposal OF
| Premier Lloyd George, and he would
| he indiscreet who contended that the
agitation In America forced the hand
| of Premier Lloyd George. 1t is suf-
| ficient to disclose that In the informal
and polite conversations that have oc-
] CURED between diplomatic representa-
! tives of Great Britain and the United
! states. ever since Foreign Secretary
/ Balfour discussed the matter with
/ President Wilson, shortly after the en-
| try OF the United states in the war. the
Irish question has been handicap to
| Anglo American relations, which both
sides fully recognized. That Is why
the prime minister's proposal clcits en-
| thusiasm here II Is the beginning Of
+, something--lt Is an attempt at last to
apply the principle Of differentiation
to ireland.
Copyright, 1919. by David Lawrence
Mothers -I'umonia Fuming Salve for
Croupy children. Csc, adv