The Irish standard., 1919-02-22
saturday, February q, 1919

Situation in ireland Today As He
Finds It On His Release From An
English Prison.
Count Plunkett, who was released
from prison recently and who is the
first of the Republican leaders to gain
liberty, outlined to correspondent
the Irish Republican policy. The in
terview, coming from such q leader
rs Count Plunkett, makes interesting
reading:
The Irish representatives who
were recently elected in the Parlia-
mentary franchise" he began, "are
really representatives of the Irish peo-
pie, for, although they used the ma
chinery of the new government, they
had the appreciation of much wider
electorate, for the Sim Fein move
ment stands for manhood and woman
hood suffrage. Every man and every
woman has the right to vote, and the
organization is managed on that basis.
"The work for the elections was
carried on under great difficulties, as
those who actually laid the founda-
tion of the Sim Fein movement are
under arrest, 100 of the party leaders
and organizers having been deported,
while about another 100 of their SYM
pathizers are in Irish or English pri-
sons.
"These repressive measures are in
tended to irritate the people, but, in
stead of demoralizing, they tend to
stimulate activity. New methods, of
repression are met by organized de-
vices. The perfect discipline of the
Sim Fein organizations is founded on
the watchword of Faith and Father
land Their church and their religion
are dear to the Irish people, and Sim
Fein is to them as their religion.
''The first thing that is taught in the
organization is that if his leaders tell
man not to hit back if he is struck,
he must obey, and he thus learns to
give up his own inclination for the
good of the cause. That is how men
who are really soldiers have marched
on without a word while they have
been abused and stoned.
In Communication With America.
"The Executive Committee of the
Irish Republic" Count Plunkett con-
tinued, has been in communication
with the United States and other gov
ernments, but what it specially aims
at is to get into communication with
the people of different countries by
representation at their labor con-
crosses and also by propaganda. The
censorship stops propaganda through
the press and directly interferes with
written communications.
1--WE have sympathy with all nation
alities which are struggling for free
dom and have much fellow-feeling
with Russian aspirations"
The Count alluded to the intention
of Sim Fein to try to control all pos
sible agencies in Ireland, such as the
county councils and government
boards, so as to circumvent English
domination through them, and the To-
cal bodies, through which they act.
The county and district councils will
be reelected in May or June, and by
that time Sim Fein leaders hope that
public opinion will be so thoroughly
instructed that only Sim Feiners will
be returned. The government, Count
Plunkett declared, has postponed the
municipal elections so as to prevent
this being done, and so retain a "bul-
wark bureau until next year at least.
"The Irish Republicans" he said,
"have a majority, even in Ulster,
which is divided into three parties;
first, the Unionists, who do not wish
to be separated from England; Sec
ond, those who want Irish Indepen-
dence, but still want to keep some
connection with England, chiefly for
trade purposes; and third, Irish Re-
publicans, who want complete inde-
pendence for the nation.
1--WE. regard the Irish Unionists of
the North as our fellow countrymen,"
continued the Count, "and they are
entitled to place in the government
and to the same freedom as we de-
mand for ourselves. Some people ask
for guarantees, but asking for guar
antees implies a want of freedom.
"Unionism, we say, is not princi-
pie, but simulated party contrivance
promoted by ministers to keep Ire
land divided, and it is also employed
by wealthy manufacturers to silence
any outcry which might interfere with
their trade interests. When anything
threatened their business interests
through labor organizations, they beat