, 1919-01-30

was the next scheduled for ~presenta-
ton. 1t was said President Wilson
would not submit his scheme until all
others had been heard, not only out of
Difference to the European nations but
in the belief hat when the others have
been discussed. his plan ma serve to
reconcile the differences that will have
developed. That these differences will
not be great is the belief of Lord Cecil,
who says he found in conversations
with the delegates that there was in
very large measure an agreement on
the principles he outlined.
IA
The opening of the Sim Fein par
lament in Dublin, with it's formal proc
lamation of the independence of Ire
land, was perilously near to being a
comedy, but may well develop into
tragedy later. Only % members were
present, the others being in jail. They
elected Charles Burgess speaker and
appointed Count Plunkett, Arthur Grit
fths and Prof. Edward De Valera a
committee to present to the peace con-
ference at Paris the claims of Ireland
to self-determination. The last two
m are in English prisons. The
proceedings of the parliament" were
conducted so far as possible In the
Irish Celtic language, with lapses into
English when the former failed.
The government took absolutely no
notice of the meeting of the "Dail
Eireann," as the Irish call their as
sembly, although it was in the Man
sion house, under the very shadow of
Dublin castle. Loyal citizens hung out
an unusual number of union jacks and
some returned soldiers growled a bit,
but there was no disorder. The Brit
ish government apparently intends to
ignore the Sim Fein republic until it
undertakes to enforce laws that are In
conflict with those established by the
British; then the trouble is likely to
begin. In the opinion of the loyal
Irish press. he purpose of the par
lament" is to attract the attention of
the world, especially the peace confer
ence, to the case of the Sim Feiners,
and the latter expected and hoped the
assembly would be suppressed by the
police. In this the British fooled
them, not desiring to create any more
Irish martyrs than necessity compels.
If Count Plunkett takes the Sim Fein
declaration to the peace conference II
is likely to be quietly pigeon-holed.
n result of the Irish matter was
the killing of two policemen who were
guarding a quantity of explosives in
Tipperary and the theft of the explos-
ives. Tipperary was at once placed
under the crimes act, which means its
inhabitants are under much the same
restraint as the people in the occupied
parts of Germany. The murder may
be the beginning of a new period of
terrorism and ass~assinations.
-a-
While new republics are s%pringine
up overnight in. Europe, the reaction.
aries of Portugal have broken. out and
proclaimed the restoration of the mon.
archy. The movement is. especially
strong in the northern part of the
country. The revolutionists have of.
fered the throne to the former king
Manuel, and though he is absolved Of
iclally of any connection with the up
rising, it is reported he Is on a vessel
off Oporto awaiting developments.
His lord in waiting al London said
Manuel would return to his country II
1t wished him to do so. There is a re-
port that. In case Manuel does not ac.
cept the invitation OF the royalists.
they will offer the throne to Dom Mig
uel of Braganza. who married Anita
Stewart of New Jersey.
1t may be the yellow Peril" alarm.
lists in America will be somewhat ST.
fenced by the statement of Viscount
Uchida, minister for foreign affairs, at
the opening of the Japanese parlia-
ment. He declared that Japan had
mo aspiration but to seek the consum-
nation Of a free and ~unfettered devel.
opment of her national life along the
highway of justice and peace and
that she was determined to pursue q
fair and clean policy in all information.
al relations" He especially emphasized
his country's friendship for China and
Russia and denied that 1t would be
Japan's policy to take advantage of
the domestic troubles of Russia to pro-
mote selfish aims of territorial or eco
nomic aggression. The Japanese for.
eign office also issued denials OF "mls
chievous reports Of Japanese actlvi-
ties in China, particularly in regard to
the granting of loans.