The Washington herald., 1919-02-24
IRISH DEMAND RIGHT
OF HOME RULE; SEEK
AID OF PRESIDENT
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

'n-' i-N1 IL ANC-A ~ T. OsNh
contributed more than those of
Irish blood in the creation, up
building, preservation and de-
tense; in the name of ireland,
because of the unparalleled struG-
gle for seven and a half centuries
that Ireland has carried on her ma
tioual existence and liberty; in the
name of humanity because we be-
lreVe that war cannot be ended and
Il Just and permanent peace be
brought about unless the doctrines
of seIf-dctermination be applied to
Ireland: and finally. that peace
and order may be brought out of the
chaos with which the whole world
now seems threatened
Witais half an hour after the adop-
ton of the national platform. Irish
patriots as citizens of the United
States, pledged themselves for s1,55o,-
90 to mold sentiment toward gaining
Irish self-determination. This amount
is to be raised in six months. More
than a score of speakers, pledging
money from various cities and States,
including $4,000 each from New
York, Chicago, Philadelphia. Boston
and other centeTs. charged that Eng
land had spent Sl5O,OOO in America.
1t was near the conclusion of the
reading of the platform by Mr.. Ryan
that the audience rose in a body and
cheered for nearly ten minutes.
Thousands were excluded from the
hall this afternoon when long before
the time scheduled for the session,
the building was filled. Those outside
were informed of the adoption of the
, -. OH Nf
their comrades inside the theater and
word was also taken to the Forrest
and Shubert theaters. where overflow
meetings were held.
Declares State of War.
The particular passage of the plat
form. which evoked the widest re-
sponse. follows:
A state of war therefore exists be
tween England and Ireland which. in
the interests of the peace of the
world, the Peace Conference cannot
ignore and President Wilson's great
task of establishing permanent peace
will not he completed until the Irish
question is settled on the principle of
self determination to which he has
uncUuivOcalIy committed himself and
the United States"
The other premises cited the record
made by the Irish among the Ameri-
can fighting forces in the present war
and affirmed hearty approval of Presi-
dent Wilson's. proclamation of the
principles for which America entered
the war. Attention was called to the
fact that these principles had been
indorscd by the spokesmcn for the
British government
The right of all peoples to self
determination. it was pointed out, was
one of the principles proclaimed by
the President and indorsed by Great
Britain through her official spokes-
man, therefore it was logical to expect
that the principle should be applied
to ireland.
ireland" continued the platform,
"is clearly entitled to self-determina-
ton. She is the oldest of the nations of
Europe and possesses all the essential
elements and attributes of a distinct
nationality. She has never forfeited
her right to nationality nor aCknOwl-
edged the right of any other nation
to dcprivate her of it. She has as
serted that right. either by armed
force or peaceful means in every gem
Grafton for $50 years. She has pre-
served during all that period her dis
tinctive characteristics of race. ideals
and culture. in the face of the most
persistent and drastic efforts of a
foreign government to suppress and
obliterate them and she is today as
essentially and as distinctly a nation
as when the invaders first set foot
on her soil in 1863
Failure of History.
Aside from Ireland's inalienable
right to govern herself in her own
way, without interference by any
people outside her own shores, the
attempt of England to rule her
against the consent of her people is
the conspicuous failure in all history.
The condition of Ireland, which is
the direct results of the deliberate
action of the Tnglish government, is
an international scandal and a con-
slant menace to the WORLDS peace.
$50 long as England holds Ireland
by military force and denies her right
to govern herself. the Irish people will
continue to assert their right by every
means in their power"
More than twenty churehmen, in
Guiding Archbishop Dougherty. of
Philadelphia, sitting at the left OF
His Eminence James Cardinal Glib
bons, and many bishops of the Catho-
hc faith and members of other ereeds
sat on the speakers rostrum.