The Irish standard., 1919-04-19

his name, writes to us contesting
the claim of Ireland to the right of
nationality. 1t is, he says, considered
by all Competent authorities" to be
part of the United Kingdom. The
letter would not be noticed but for
the fact that it's claim has been re-
echoed in other quarters. But all his
tory right down to the present moment
disproves it.
spirit of Swift! spirit of Molyn-
eaux! your genius has prevailed! Ire.
land is now nation" So Grattan
said on April 26, 1882; he meant that
ireland had become free nation. If
forcible consequent and political sla.
very abrogated nationality, Holland
and Belgium, Denmark and Norway,
Switzerland and Greece could not
claim a place among the nations of
the earth today. Greece was no less
nation between 1913 and 1880 than
she is under the sovereignty Of. ex.
King Constantine's son. 'Who gave
you Free Trader" asked Henry Flood
in the Irish Parliament 1888. who
gave you the Free Constitution?
Who made you nation? The
Volunteers Even Pitt and Castle.
REACH never questioned the existence
of Ireland's nationhood while they
were giving effect to their, plans for
the destruction of the nations free
dom. If it is to be argued that Gre
land is not nation" Mr.. Asquith
and Mr.. Lloyd George, who have re-
peatedly referred to "the Irish ma
tion," must be written down as Gin.
competent authorities" and knaves.
Turning from historical facts to
modern practice, I find a considerable
amount of confusion with regard to
national claims, rights and "recog-
nitions."
Poles, Esthonians and czecho-s Iovaks.
Poland was conquered, dismem-
bered, "partitioned" between three
great Empires and erased from the
list Of nations a century and quarter
ago; yet English statesmen are now
cheering President Wilson's declara-
ton that th. Polish nation must be
ablshety on It'll. old. I may say,
iil.defned territory, and that the xbaar:
gain made and carried into effect be-
tween Russia, Prussia and Austria in
1875 shall be no longer recognized.
The Central Empires are dealing with
Poland as nation also-after their
own fashion; but we are mainly con-
cerned with the attitude of the Allies;
and If Poland is nation, and is to be
placed amongst the nations at the
end Of the war, 1reland's claim to
national liberty must be regarded as
undeniable by the Allied Powers. Pc.
lands case is not the most remark
able instance Of the hypocritical in
consistency that would place ireland
"outside the pale" when the estab.
lishment of "the reign of law based
upon the Consent of the governed"
becomes the aim Of International pol
ity. Who in Western Europe or the
United States had ever given a
thought to Esthonia until Mr.. Arthur
Balfour, the British Foreign Minister,
published formal and solemn "recog-
milton" of the Esthonian nation by
Great Britain? And still more re-
markable is the case of the Czecho-
Slovaks, who have been as formally
and solemnly proclaimed and "recog-
nized" as a free and Independent ma
ton by Great Britain also.
The Czechs and Slovaks are scat
tered "far and wide" in various coun-
tries; they are parts of the population
in Bohemia, N. w. Hungary, Moravia,
Lower Austria, slavonia and Bukow.
ina. The Czechs number about S,000,-
900; the slovaks from 100000 to g..
! 100000; and the >slovenes, people
inhabiting Syria, Carinthia, Carniola
and parts Of Hungary, will probably
bring another 100000 to this strange
and new nation"
Compared With Bohemia.
These people speak different Ian
guages and dialects; they live in
places far distant from one another;
geographically, national cooperation
i between them must be impossible;
4 there is only one end Of unity-oppo-
Z Sition to Austro-H HUNGARIAN rule: and
It is very doubtful whether there 10
unanimity of feeling on this point
amongst the widely dispersed peoples
classified as "Czecho- Slovaks" and
Z recognized" as free nation by the
B honest rulers and statesmen who
would deny the right Of nationhood
to the people who I've in the island
0f Ireland.
Take the problem Of Bohemia,
where . vast majority Of the Czechs