The Irish standard., 1919-04-05

THE IRISI
|ords of her history. Such dismal vision of the
potentiates of that most distressful" country is
altogether superficial and myopic. If indeed the
British Government could be persuaded that free
Ireland would eventually lapse into the status de-
scribed, Britain would hasten to release the bull
dog grip it has held upon the smaller island for so
many centuries, and thus relieve itself of problem
that has been a constant source of embarrassment
and humiliation If the release of ireland would
turn out prognosticated above and the British
statesmen could the matter eye to eye with the
Journal the Irish question would soon be disposed
OF with satisfaction to both peoples and the rest
of the world by the complete restoration of Irish
independence.
1t is quite evident therefore, that the rulers of
Britain do not share in such view of the future
of Ireland under self-admnstraton of her affairs
la mere drop in the bucket of the world, cooped
in provincial box and walled off from the rest of
the world by the Gaelic language The world war
served but to emphasize the strategic importance
the military and naval standponts. 1t was referred
to the Heligoand of the Atlantic" but that des-
ignation expresses the truth of the matter in about
the same proportion as the North Sea compares in
size with the far-reaching Atlantic Ocean. 1t is
the nearest land in Europe to America, and is
blessed with no less than eighteen great natural
lharbors capable of accommodating vessels of the
largest size. Under fostering governmental care
these spacious and safe harbors would TEEN with
the commerce of America and of many other ma
tons, whereas they suffered to remain
idle and unused, owing to the fear and jealousy
of the British, lest by their development their own
ports might suffer loss of trade or prestige. And
it is the that suppresses the growth of
the industries and factories of Ireland-te possibly
purely imaginative dread that Erin's prosperity in
these lines might prove injurious to the manufac
tories of Britain.
In Short Ireland under British domination has
a he of 1t,ro
region it the declared purpose of the Britons
to make of her during the centuries of their blasting
occupancy. They sought to eradicate the native
race and supplant it with colonists of Britain,
serving the island as vast game and hunt
ing ground for the land owners and their families
Seventy years ago the population about 8OOO,-
1000, which has dwindled down under repres-
sion and its concomitant emigration to about f.
5OO,OOO-a record of diminution that has not been
exceeded in any other European country. -
But what If Ireland were free to conduct her own
affairs in the interest of her people, under self
determination? Comparison is made with Belgium
of the four provinces of Ireland Belgium, with an
area of only 1873 square miles, sustains in fair
comfort-or did before the war-a population of
ISL 387 about $50 inhabitants per square mile
ton Of 135 to the square mile, and it possesses a
far richer soil than that of Belgium. The popula-
ton per square mile in England is 6l8 more than
four times, that Of ireland Thus is it evident
tnat ireland is easily capable OF SUSTAINING pOpu
lation of 100000 to 100000 of people without
greater density per square mile than that of Eng
land or Belgium. That indeed would have been
the fair measure of the growth of Ireland at present
under decent administration of her internal affairs
and normal opportunities for development of her
resources during the past century. 1t was the
blight of union with England that kept her out of
step with the progress of other European peoples
and sent out to other lands great streams of emf
grafton during the period of strangulation of her
development.
Let that choking hand be removed from her
throat so that she may be able to breathe the air
of the future And the picture will not conform to
the lines suggested in the article above quoted
On the contrary, discern far more cheer
ing and hopeful outlook for the Emerald Isle. We
can great harbors crowded with commerce
from America, from South America, from Austria
liza, Canada and other countries, making the Irish
ports their points OF entry to the markets of Britain
and Continental Europe. We the whole
island crisscrossed with railroads from east to west
and from north to south busy with the transporta-
ton of the merchandise of its own production and
imports for distribution throughout Europe We
can smoke and hear the hum of thousands of
factories and industrial plants that will afford
ployment to thrifty, intelligent and energetic peo
pie. We see her farmers with increased hold
ings of land and with modern agricultural imple-
ments prospecting with the tillage of her fruitful
SOIL We can see her great educational institutions
flourish and glory in the days of old when she
was the "island of saints and scholars" We can
see captains of industry applying their genius to the
the same success as has been achieved by men of
their in other lands throughout the world We
can see peaceful, united and prosperous people,
proud of their country and devoted to their own