The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-12-13
HOUSE DEBATE
GROWS STORMY
Hoots and Jeers for Speak
ers on Irish IsSue-CroWd
lambs Corridors.

Washington. Dec. 13.-The claim of
the Irish republic to recognition as
an independent government was
brought to congress again yesterday
and was debated in militant fashion
through a tempestuous all-day ses-
sion of the house committee on for
eign affairs. A crowd which jammed
the committee room and blocked ad-
joining corridors punctured the pro-
ceedings with cheers and with boots
of disapproval as the opposing speak
ers presented their arguments, and
many times threw the session into
disorder by yelling gratuitous advice
to committee and witnesses. The
crowd included many leaders of the
cause of Irish freedom in this coun-
try and manifested in many ways its
sympathy with the plea fof recogni-
tion.
The committee was considering a.
bill by Representative Mason, of Illi-
nois, which would appropriate funds
for dispatch of diplomatic and con-
sular representatives to the govern
ment set up by the insurgent Irish
republican leaders and some of their
supporters in this country threw the
meeting into a furore which the COM
mittee quieted with difficulty, after
the chairman had warned against ad-
vice to any witnesses. Interruption
SO prolonged the hearing that the
committees plan of concluding yes
terday was abandoned and the argu-
ments will be resumed today.
Justice Daniel D. Cohalon, of the
New York state supreme court. and
Frank p Walsh. who headed the
Irish-American delegation sent to
Paris during the peace negotiations,
appeared to espouse the cause of
Irish freedom and ask for passage of
the bill. The arguments in opposition
were made by George L. Fox, Of New
| Haven, Conn; George T. Lemon, OF
Troy, N. Y, president of the Ma
tionaI Federation of Presbyterian As
sociations Of Patriotic Societies, and
others. 4a
These statemehts all were denied
by Mr., Lemon aid Mr.. Fox, VINO said
there was a great division Of sentf-
ment among the Irish, both in ireland
and in the United States. and thai
little real headway had been made
by the republic as a governmental
agency. They declared the Sim Feir
party backing the republic was one Of
three powerful political organizations
in Ireland and had handicapped the
allies in winning the war. Mr.. Lemon
declared it was matter of record
that the Sim F'ein party was giver
orders to refuse conscription in Ire
land during the war.
An understanding between Irish
Americans and German American!
was charged by Mr.. Lemon and Mr.
Fox carried the suggestion a steI
further by turning to Mr.. Walsh ant
declaring that during the war "thi
man was thinking to help Germany
The crowd in which the tricolor o
the Irish republic was conspicuous
along with the Stars and Stripes
hooted down the assertion ant
cheered committeeman when the!
objected.
Mr.. Fox will continue his speecl
when the committee meets today, ant
Bourke Cochran, of New York, will
make the concluding address for tn
advocates today.
Referring to the Easement revolu
tionary movement in Ireland durini
the war; Mr.. Lemon declared his con
viction that if the Sim Fein elemen
had been able to establish an inde
pendent nation prior to or early il
the war, it would have gone in OF
the side of Germany.