New-York tribune., 1919-12-13
Jeers and Cheers Interrupt
Speakers Before Congress
c o m ittee Consid.
ering Funds for Envoys
Cohalan Urges Action
PresbyterianLeader Opposes
Support of Republic and
Charges Pro-Cermanism

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-The claim
OF the Irish Republic to recognition as
an independent government was
brought to Congress again to-day and
was debated in militant fashion through
tempestuous all-ay session of the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
A crowd which jammed the commit
tee room and blocked adjoining cor
rldors punctuated the proceedings
with cheers and with boots of disap
proval as the opposing speakers pre-
sented their arguments, and manv
times threw the session into disorder
by yelling gratuitous advice to the
committee and witnesses.
The occasion was committee consid-
Grafton of a bill by Representative
Mason, Republican, Illinois. which
would appropriate funds for dispatch
OF diplomatic and consular repre-
sentatlves to the government set up by
the insurgent Irish Republicans. It's
supporters declared it presented an on
portunity for Congress to do all it
could constitutionally toward a full
diplomatic recognition Of Ireland and
Its opponents condemned it as an ef-
tort to involve the United States in a
dangerous situation.
Charges of Pro-Germanism
Late in the session charges of pro-
Germanism on the part of Irish re-
publican leaders and some of their
supporters in this country threw the
meeting into a furore, which the com
mlttee quleted with difficulty after the
chairman had warned against insults
10 any OF the witnesses. Interruptions
so prolonged the hearing that the com
mlttee's plan of concluding to-day was
abandoned, and the arguments will he
resumed tomorrow.
Justice Daniel F. Cohalan, of the
New York State Supreme Court, and
frank r. Walsh, who headed the Irish
American delegation sent to Paris dur
ing the peace negotiations, appeared to
espouse the cause of Irish freedom
and ask for passage of the bill. The
arguments in opposition were made bv
George l.. Fox, of New Haven; George
i. Lemon, OF Troy, president of the Ma
tlonal Federation of Presbyterian Pa
trlotic Societies, and others.
cannon de Valera, President of the
irish republican government, who
came to Washington yesterday to con.
fer with Irish-American leaders. did
not appear at the meeting, but Harry
Boland, secretary of the republics
parliament" sat with Justice Coha-
Ian and Mr. Walsh, and frequently ad-
vised them in the presentation of their
case.
The provisional government, these
speakers, argued, clearly was de facto
government, having a complete execu-
tive and parliamentary organization, an
effective army of 100000 and united
asserted, is functioning in manv i'm
portant matters, while the British au-
thorlties have abandoned their at
tempt to carry out many of the duties
of government.
Plea Made by Cohalan
Justice Cohalan told the committee
his delegation spoke for the majority
OF 2O,O0OO,000 Americans of Irish de-
scent, and was pleading in behalf Of a
government which was we'll organized
and firmly supported by its constitu-
ents.
Representative Connally, Democrat,
of Texas, asked Juss1ce Cohalan
whether he would be in favor of the
Onlted states gong to war with Great
Britain in case the latter took serious
offense at passage of the Mason bill.
Yes, under those circumstances" re-
piled the justice, while the crowd
cheered.
All the statements in favor of Ire
land were denied by Mr.. Lemon and Mr..
Fox, who said there was great divi-
sion of sentiment among the Irish,
both in Ireland and the United States,
and that little real headway had been
made by the republic as govern
mental agency. They declared the Sim
Fein party had Handicapped the Allies
in winning the war
Referring to the Easement revolu-
tionary movement in Ireland during the
war, Mr.. Lemon declared his conviction
that if the Sim Fein element had
been able to establis-. an independent
nation prior to or early in the war it