The sun., 1919-09-02
LEAGUE FLAYED BY
LABOR DAY ORATORS
De Valera Asserts That Its SUI
preme Test Is England's At
titude Toward Ireland.
U. s. LOSES SOVEREIGNTY
The Rev. Father Brady Calls
Agreement O Delusion and
@ Snare.

The only organized celebration OF La
Dor Day in Manhattan, the Manhattan
Casino picnic of the Central Federated
Union yesterday afternoon. turned into
an enthusiastic mass meeting condemna-
tory OF the League of Nations. In
Brooklyn the celebration took its nor
NAL course of parades, mass meetings
and games.
canon de Valera, whom the Sim
Fein elected President of the Irish Re
public. reused the 200 men and women
who had waited for him for two hours
in the Casino, when he warned them
that the supreme test Of the League OF
Nations is England's attitude toward
ireland. De Valera, making his first
utterance since he returned from his tour
OF the United States, showed the strain
of his work. His voice and his eyes
were tired, But again and again the
labor audience rose to its feet and
cheered him.
There was none of the denunciation OF
President Wilson that marked De VAL
lera's address at Madison Square Gar
den on his first arrival here. In fact, De
Valera swung his whole argument on
President Wilson's speech to the Senate
in January, 1917, quoting 1t at length
in its demands for justice to weak peo-
Piles. One woman who boohed at the
first mention of Wilson's name wac un-
tremendously ushered from the hall.
But when De Valera ended his speech
~ -, States
fore tying himself up with the League OF
Nations should demand a hostage. Ire
land, for the good intentions of the
British Empire, the audience lett no
doubt that 1t, was with him.
The Rev., John F. Brady followed
Valera by calling on the Central FED
Grated Union to stop the 5000 speakers
of the American Federation OF Labor
who. he said. are going about the coun-
try advocating the ratification OF the
League OF Nations. This demand was
greeted with applause.
De Valera reminded his hearers that
the League of Nations meant de-
parture from American tradition and
surrender Of some American sovereignty.
He did not wonder, he said, that he
found many people doubtful of the worth
of the bargain. He said:
What can be expected IL the unset
fishness of America meets with nothing
but national selfshness on the part OF
other nations? What hope can there be
of Justice IL those that are asking Amer
lea to Join them in maintaining 1t are
at the moment of their asking violating
Justice? What ground is there to hope
that they will accept the rule OF right
who to-day acknowledge only might,
that those Governments which to-day
rain bombs upon defepceless inhabitants
of India or Egypt and with their ma
chine guns deprive the people OF Ireland
of every right Of free men have any
less selfish object than their own In
fiuence and mastery
ut Is important for America to know
whether England really wants peace,
really wants a reign Of justice or
whether in the proposed covenant of the
League Of Nations her intentions are
the same as when her statesmen were
moral sentiments of liberty
and the sanctity OF agreements at the
very moment they were plotting the
secret treaties and disposing their mill
tary forces throughout the world so that
the peace might find them in possess
sion of more added territory than there
is in all these United States. while Lloyd
George called high Heaven to witness
that England had no selfish object in
the war.
There are tests of England's sin
certify to-day as there were during the
war. We in Ireland applied them dur
ing the war. 1t is Americas and the
interest of humanity to apply them.
The Irish question is one definite test
by which the secret purpose in Englands
heart can be detected Why should II
be believed that England wants peace
when she will not pay the only price
by which peace can be purchased
justice.
IF America wants to secure that
which is in the mind Of the nation II
must find guarantees that this change
of heart has taken place. She has a
right to demand the necessary hostages.
If she neglects taking them she will be
neglectful not merely of her own inter-
ests but of the wider world interests
which it is her purpose to serve. II she
does not do it now in little while il
will be too late"
Valera then quoted at length from
President Wilson's speech to the Senate,
January %. 1917, in which he set forth
the terms of justice to all nations, weak
as well as powerful. that the peace
treaty must contain. Then he concluded
IF the American people do not want
to be cheated, If they do not want one
day to wake up and discover that they
have fought a war solely in the interests
of England. that they have pledged their
strength to maintain an Imperialism as
tyrannical on the subject peoples as any
that has as yet cursed the earth, put
autocracy still firmer in the saddle and
blasted for generations all hopes of de-
livery, they will heed the admonitions
of this message of wisdom from the
President, insist ON the guarantees that
common sense dictates, now when they
can be got and not leave them to the
future when there will be no means of
forcing them"
He pictured the whole Irish struggle
as analogous to the struggle of labor
throughout the world, the struggle for
democracy against a ruling class. He
repealed the previously made suggestion
of Supreme Court Justice Edward ].
Gavegan that British organized labor
had declared for the Independence of
Ireland.