The Irish standard., 1919-11-15

hold Sir Edward Carson justified in slandering the
entire Democratic party and of pointing condemn
ing finger at President Wilson? For, in attacking
Sim Fein, Admiral Sims you are attacking the great
mass of the Irish people, In the last Parliamen-
ary election, December H. 1918, out of los constit-
uences in Ireland, Sim Fein secured seventy three
l73), the Dillon Natonalists six (6, and the Union
lists twenty-six (26). OF the Natonalists, two (2)
had declared for sef-determnation for ireland and
were consequently, unopposed by Sim Fein. With
these figures before you, YOU honestly believe
that you have been just to the people of Ireland in
condemning Sim Fein because of occurrences in a
Fein had no connection? -.
8. May we point out to you other misstatements
in your article which, guaranteed by your name, and
by the traditional integrity of the official personnel
Of our Navy, will be accepted without question by
the world as the truth? You say that our American
boys "were dsgusted at the large numbers of able
bodied men whom they on the streets and did
not hesitate to ask some of them why they were not
fighting on the western 'front.'" Inquiry will show
you that the Irish people gave nobly and willingly of
their best blood. AS pointed out by us in our letter
Secretary Daniels 65 per cent of the total popua
ton Of the country and So per cent Of the total male
population OF military age voluntarily enlisted and
served under the British flag; whereas,
listments, Voluntary and by draft did not far as
we able to ascertain equal per cent of the total
population nor more than % per cent of our male
workings of the Selective Service Draft and must
! realize that we in America exempted the married
men with dependents, those engaged in essential
industrial or agricultural work. minors and the in
tcapacitated. Surely we in America did our full
| share; yet Ireland, on basis of population, gave
proportionately more, and gave to fight under flag
which to lrishmen has always stood as the emblem
of an oppressor of small nations and the enemy OF
the very principles for which in America sent
boys to fight. Would you say that Ireland not
entitled to the exemptions for military service
that we in America believed humane and just? From
the days OF the famine to the present, emigration
hoc
AS result of this drain upon the best of her YOUTH
the proportion of the nrm and the aged is higher in
Ireland than in England or in America. Yet, i'll
spite OF this total enlistments in Ireland u.s.
592 By what authority, therefore, you intimate
that Ireland did not bear her full share of the burden
in this WARP Your bitterness of attack exceeds that
of the English. Would you have stripped Ireland OF
the married the minors the physically incapacitated
| ton had Selective Service law such as ours pre-
vailed in Ireland? In the course of the war; large
numbers of able-bodied men" walked the streets of
every city and town in land They were the
married, the disabled and the exempted industrial
lists. Yet there was criticism. In the course of
the war, large numbers of able-bodied men, walked
the streets in Orange professions III Belfast Gree
mans Journal, July Is, 1918, P. 5, Col. ~ Again
not be criticized by you Ireland did her full share
1.-THE Great War. Upon every battlefield of France
land of Belgium upon the hills of Salonica and in the
blood-staned guches of the Dardanelles, Irish blood
IS.
English history and English government failed to
acknowledge that service until practically forced to
do so; and your contribution to the history of the
is in this respect another instance of history dis
torted. Furthermore, lest you think perhaps that
these who fought and died were not Sim Fein
at heart, allow to again remind you that three
Quarters of the people of Ireland in the last election
expressed their allegiance to Sim Fein, and by no
misapplication of logic this great mass of the
Irish population be disassociated from their sons
and brothers who fought with the Allies. And, if
London Daily Express of October %, 1919: "The
bulk of the Irish soldiers demoblzed from the Brit
ish Army have jonted the Republican Ii. e.. Sim
Fein), force, giving it foundation of experienced
veterans" Here is testimony from English
source Your charge against the manhood of Ire
land should be- by every rule of fairness, Withdrawn
or corrected.
9. You say: "The people of Queenstown and of
Cork received our with genuine Irish cordiality
Yet within few weeks, evidence of hostility in
tain quarters became apparent" You admit that for
a while all went we'll And then you charge that the
cause of the change was hatred of boys because
/ they were not pro-German Is not this upon the
face of it ridiculous? Could any sane individual
American sailors to be pro-German? Would any
man of normal mind battle with them on the streets
because they were not? But even here you contra
dict yourself for again you say: But when the
Sim Fem element saw their sweethearts deserting
them for American boys, their hitherto suppressed
anger took the form of overt acts" First, may we
Iask you, what form has this hitherto suppressed
Ianger' previously taken? You mention no such
form, unless it be the enthusiastic proAmercan well
come to the Fleet on May (p 4O), which you de-
scribe. Yet, if there were evidence of it, how do