The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-11-01

had the notion, as we say in an Irish
proverb in the Irish tongue, THAT
there is no knowing a person until you
live with him" (Laughter) We in
Ireland had the misfortune of know
ing John Bull very we'll, because we
had lived with him; we knew some
thing of England's history, because
unfortunately not small part OF Eng
lands history had been interviewer
with our own. And when England
spoke of the sanctity of treaties, we,
in Ireland, thought of Limerick, and
we thought of the treaty that was vio-
lated before it was set and the ink
with which it was writ was dry. We
had seen. perhaps not statesmen of
the Williams and so far back-nOt so
far back, but the Lloyd Georges and
the Asquiths of our own day; we had
seen them break solemnly plighted
promises, Just as binding in the eyes
of honorable men and nations as any
treaty signed by the monarch could
be- We had seen pledges and treat
les broken.
Safe for Diamonds.
Do you think we believed Lloyd
George, who seems never able to keep
his word but would change it at a
moment if eXpedience prompts it? If
it wasn't convenient for England to
fight for the sanctity of her treaties,
we had no belief England would do it,
England was out to fight for the free
dom Of small nations, or to make
the world safe for democracy" 1t
wasn't long before that since England,
TO use a phrase that | heard used the
other day. went and freed the Beers
to make the world safe for diamonds
That was the nation and these were
the statesmen who were going TO en-
ter a world war to make the world
safe for democracy, and to free small
nations and to obtain respect for the
sanctity Of treaties. There was one
test we had. and we applied it. If
you are in this war for liberty every
where. and not merely for the liberty
OF those that suit your imperial pur-
pose to have free, because they might
weaken by their freedom a CONNER
cial rival, or some such selfish mo-
tive; if you are really out for the
freedom OF the peoples; if you are
out for the principle of freedom, for
the principle Of Self-determination,
which you afterwards annunciated in
these words, you can very easily prove
to us that you are sincere by freeing
one of the small nations that has been
fighting for it's freedom, for its rights
for $50 years: you can free that ma
ton without knocking down any car
or kaiser or any emperor. Cap
plause.) You don't need to win any
campaigns: no factors, complete or
incomplete, are necessary that you
might honor that principle in the case
of Ireland. If you are out for freedom
everywhere, not for that special free
dom which you believe you are out
for, not because it is a principle with
you, but because it is to your selfish
advantages; if you are out for that
general principle, apply it." They re-
fused to respond to that test. II they
want us to fight--if they wanted the
young men to fight under their blood
stained flag-stained with the blood OF
our ancestors for $50 years-martyrs'
bIood-if you want us to fight under
that flag. show us at least it has been
washed pure with good principles and
true principles, and the moment you
do that. then we shall believe you al
last are a regenerate nation, that al
last you may have something under
way: that it is not lip service; that
YOU are giving liberty-that you mean
it. What is England's response? Il
was a fair question, to which Eng
land could have replied if she was
sincere. She did not reply.
Then we therefore, long before the
Russians exposed their secret treat
les, long before the peace came in
that part of the old world-we knew
Lloyd George lied. There is no wore
but lie" to use, because at one time
he put his hand on his heart anC
swore by the Almighty that England
was in the world war from the purest
motives of chivalry; for no selfish
reason: that she did not covet 6
square yard of territory, when in theil
Golfers in Downing street, there were
secret pacts splitting up the world
with other nations in case they were
victorious He said that.
The Peace Conference.
What has been the result of the
peace conference, so far as England
is concerned? This nation and this
particular statesman who engineered
it. was the man who swore, when he
wanted to get them all to back then
I'D, knowing when the end had come
he might cheat them. What hap
Dened? AS the result of the treaty
England has added to her territory as
many acres, almost, as there are il
this vast United States of yours
And now England wants you-noN
that she has got a third of the globe
she wants you to give her strength
to help her maintain that forever.
It broke our hearts in Ireland Il
see. in 1914, many of our people, will
their. warm enthusiasm, that love TO
liberty appealing to them, that cry TO
liberty dear to every Irislman-s'
l,..o ~ &c n horaditarV prin