Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-05-31
hrish-American Delegate States the
Claims of Ireland For
Freedom.
Harbors on Gateway of Atlantic
That Should BE Open 20 All
Nations.
Overwhelming Majority of Ireland
Stands United For Self
Government.
QUOTES WILSON'S GUARANTEE.

Edward p Dunno, former Gov
ernor of Illinois and one of the
three Irish-American delegates
abroad in behalf OF Irish freedom,
states the views of the committee as
follows:
1t may be appropriate at this
juncture to review briefly the origin
and purpose of our mission here.
On April 6, 1917, the United
States declared war on Germany,
and no element of the United States
entered more heartily into the war
than did American citizens of Irish
descent. The purposes of the war
were outlined by our great Presi-
dent in many public utterances.
Among those purposes he declared
we're:
1.-The right of all peoples to self
determination.
Absolute freedom of navigation
upon the seas outside of territorial
waters alike in peace and in war.
Mutual guarantees of political
independence and territorial integ-
rity to great and small nations
alike"
Along these same lines Lloyd
George, British Prime Minister, also
declared, Equality of right among
nations, small as well as great, is
one of the fundamental issues this
country and her allies are fighting
to establish in this war" He added,
Government with the consent of
the governed must be the basis of
any territorial settlements in this
war"
The war begun by America for
such purposes, among other pur-
poses, has been won, and the vic
torious nations have discussed the
terms of settlement.
The whole of Ireland, confiding
In these declarations of the pur-
poses of the war, including self-de-
termination of the weaker nations,
seized the opportunity of the gem
'eraT election OF December, 1918, to
declare Enthusiastically its national
will Only in twenty-six out of los
constituencies of the country was
England able to find enough 10y
alists' to return members favor
able to the union between Ireland
and Great Britain. For the remain
ing seventy-nine seats the electors
chose as members men who believ-
tu i'll vi bAA|ots
seventy-three who now represent
an immense majority of the people,
sought election as Republican can
didates. and each of these Republi-
can members has pledged himself to
assert by every means in his power
the right of ireland to complete in
dependence which she demands, un-
der a national government free from
all English interference. On jan
uary 81, 1919, those of the Repub-
lican members whom England had
not vet cast into prison met in the
Irish capital in a National Assembly
and, as the only Irish Parliament
"de iure," unanimously voted dec
laration of independence. The Ma
tional Assembly also caused de-
tailed statement of the case of Ire
land to be drawn up and appointed
three members, Edward De Valera,
Arthur Griffith and Count Plunkett,
to represent the statement to the
Peace Congress and to the League
of Nations Commissions in the name
of the Irish people. Up to the first
Of February, 1919, as far as the
news published in the public prints
indicated, Ireland's case was not
even considered or even mentioned
at the Pans Conference, despite the
Irish request for hearings.
Alarmed at this ominous silence
in reference to ireland, a convention
of American citizens of Irish blood
was called at Philadelphia February
%, 1919. This convention, attend
ed by 5,132 delegates from all
parts of the United States, unani-
mously adopted resolutions declar-
ing for Ireland's right of self-deter-
mination and at the instance OF
Cardinal Gibbons an executive COM
mittee of twenty-five was appointed
for the purpose of offering such as
sistance as necessary to the dele
gates of the new Irish Republic in
their effort to present the case or
ireland before the Peace Confer
ence of the nations. Frank +.
Walsh. of New York; Michael j.
RYAN. of Philadelphia, and myself
were appointed commissioners TO
proceed to Paris for this purpose,
and we have accepted the commits
sion with sincerity of purpose and
confidence in the justice of lreland's
claim for self-determination. Ma
tionally. the race, language, GUS
toms and traditions of Ireland are
radically distinct from the English.
Ireland is one of the most ancient
nations of Europe, and she has pre-
served her national integrity vgor-
Gus and intact through seven cen
turtles of foreign oppression. she
has never relinquished her national
rights. and throughout the long era
Of English usurpation she has IN
every generation defiantly proclaimed
her inalienable right of nationhood.
internationally. Ireland is the
gateway of the Atlantic. Ireland Is
the last outpost of Europe toward
the. West West ireland IS the POINT
on which the great trade routes pc
tween the West and East convsrse.
Her Independence Is demanoeo Ds
the freedom of the seas. Her great
harbors must be open to all nations