New Britain herald., 1919-05-19
FRESHMEN MEET ID
 TALK OF HOME RULE
Splain Says Question Is One ol
 World Importance

Tn spite of the controversy which arose oyer the holding of the mass meeting in the Palace theater yester- day under the auspices of Thomas Ashe branch of Friends of Irish free dom, a large audience was on hand to hear the speakers and other features of the program arranged. Robert Murray, president of the local branch acted as chairman and the speakers were Liam Mellowes and J. J. Splain.
 Mir. Splain, treasurer of the Poli chain of theaters, was the first speak CT, and dwelt upon the international phase of the Irish question at length His talk follows:
 Enemies in the Ranks.
 "I am an American by birth. of American feelings. but I do not think I ever uttered an anti-American sen- tence or expressed an anti-American thought when plead the cause of Irish freedom. AS your chairman has said, love for the old land was instill- ed ill my heart 50 years ago when my father brought me to the old Fenian meetings. I have been working for that end for over 40 years and 1 have had my bumps, some of them from craven degenerate mem berS> of our own race.
 Opportunity for Freedom. "The memories of what has been done to our race is still too deeply implanted in our hearts to make any of us regret that even in the troub- lous times of war we did not close our eyes to the wrongs of the mOtherland. Some of us could not close our tongues when the opportunity came for Ire 1 land. These opportunities are now numerous, the gates into the Promised Land are again ajar. Ireland must not, more than any other nation. be forced to live under a sovereignty The strength of that right has not been made greater or more pIa in but the attention of the world has been fixed more keenly upon us. Mil 1 lions who have been indifferent are now aroused in this cause. It is no ! longer an unpopular thing to say that l Ireland should be free Ireland has no future excepting when separated from England. Ireland must live un- der laws of it's own making, by it's own people and for it's own people. Is Vital Problem.
 England has no title over Ireland which is founded upon right. Our American friends are coming more and more to realize that the Irish question is not presented to the world as an ancient story of wrong but they are coming to realize that this ques- tion is being put before the world as a vital problem that interests Am err ica fully as much as it does Ireland. The more that Am ericans study the Irish question, the more they will realize that America will be vastly benefited by a free and independent Ireland. England will also be gainer with a contented people as a nejghbor.
 Anglo-Irish Alliance.
 "Considera ble has been made in some quarters that Ireland volun- tariIy surrendered her freedom on the first day of January, 1901. The Anglo-Irsh plan of union was drafted by a parliament in which the Irish had no influence. Only fifth of the people of Ireland had a vote. The religious quArrels of Ireland have been widely published by England as an argument against the freedom of the country, but when England can show clean sheet for her own coun- try it is time for them to attack Ire land. Their own people were forced to find religious freedom on the shores of Plymouth Rock, and Amer ican editors who are continually pre- senting the religious side of Irish na- tionalism will find that they are bark ing up the wrong tree.
 English Rule Failure.
 Ireland is asserting her rights be- cause experience proves that she hasn't prospered under English rule. It would not be compliment to the intelligence of this audience to spend any time in proving the English re- gime failure-it is a misera ble one England did a trade of SS20, 100000 with Ireland last year, and she has made it impossible by her navigation laws for Ireland to trade with any ing and going.
 Not a Domestic Question.
 "The Irish question is not a domes- tic question as MT. Taft, or even as MT. Wilson is reputed as having said It concerns the whole world and America particularly. If it is a ques- tion for England alone to decide why did not Mir Wilson say so? Unless America, takes position which will secure freedom for Ireland America will stand before the world as an ingrate nation and that name will never be lived down until she does se- cure for Ireland the right to live among the free and independent na- tions of the earth.''
 NelIOwes a Speaker. Liam Mellowes, commander in chief of the western forces during the Easter week rebellion, was given an ovation when he appeared on the platform, having been somewhat late in arriving at the theater. His talk was principally on the necessity in continuing the fight for freedom and a recital of his experiences in Easter week. The speaker is the represen- tative of East Galway to the parlia- ment in England. although he has