Evening journal., 1919-03-18
Peoples Column
IRELAND AND HOME RULE.

To the Editor Of The Evening Journal.
Sir: In order TO point out the shall
lowness and hypocrisy OF Edward de
Valera's statement which YOU pub
lished in The Evening Journal Of
Thursday. March i3, one need only in
quire what the president Of Sim Feln
and his associates did TO help win the
var. What did they do that would
give them a right 10 SIT at the peace
liable?
For an intelligent, loyal-hearted com
munity who have shared for two years
in the burdens and anxleties of the
great war and who have borne their
fears and agony with such courage as
they might II only seems necessary,
when Edward de Valera speaks Of "The
principle with which the world has
rung for the last four years" 10 ask,
what authority he has and what princi-
pies he upheld.
Just year ago, about the time that
the last great German offensive began,
time that none OF us who lived
through IL are ever likely 10 forget,
time when the Allies, worn and weary.
were hghting an apparently losing
game. doggedly determinedly, their
backs against the wall, what was the
president OF the Sim Finn doing, how
was he employed2
He was not then talking OF self-de-
termination for Ireland; l do not rer
member If the phrase had then been
coined; he had other business. His
constituency is in East Glare, a county
In the southern province on the west
coast OF Ireland, but he was not trou-
bling himself about East Clare. In
stead, he was very busy in the city
of Belfast which is in the far north
over two hundred miles from Clare,
holding meetings at midnight, stirring
up the Orangemen and Nationalists TO
night and organizing strikes OF the
workmen IN order to hold up the WORK
Of shipbuilding, and repairing, which
is Belfasts great industry and doing
everything TO interfere with the sup
ply Of ships which at that time was
the vital need Of the Allies, AZ the
same time his associates were busy
along the west coast, where they had
established bases for submarine, places
where German submarines could come
IN and be supplied with oil and other
necessaries by the Sim Felners and
then sneak out and lie in wait, ready
20 torpedo and sink the American
transports which were carrying your
boys to France. Long stretches OF
this west coast are so rocky and I'M
friendly that for miles there would be
no chance even 10 beach a ship that
had been disabled and it would be al
most sure 10 sink before it could he
flowed or helped the necessary distance
10 effect a landing
In fact Edward de Valera was doiug
all the work Of a CONSCIENTIOUS, indus
trous German spy. Now he and the
other Sim Feiners come out and de-
clare, I'VE are the Irish people, we
will govern Ireland" and they call ii
self determination
When de Valera talks Of ireland
maintaining commission with those who
fight for liberty anywhere, that Is cor
rect-of Ireland-but not, not the Sim
Fein. What Of Belgium? The Sim
Fein was against Belgium and on the
side Of Germany, and when In 1916,
they had plotted 10 close the ports end
cut ireland on from England, they
knew that n the plot was successful
Belgium's fate would be the fate Of
ireland also. Is it any wonder that
z. de Valera wakes fearful over 1.-The
principal with which the world has
runs" when he thinks Of all the hard
work he did for the Kaiser and all he !
got out Of it-or in twas jail In |
the closing cry Of his memorial writ |
ing OF England binding and gagging !
ireland and plunglng her into dun /
geons, he draws on his spanish imsgi- |
nation, for z. dc Valera IS not Irish,
but a Spanlard.
had the good luck 20 be born in the /
south Of Ireland and 10 live there half |
a lifetime, and ! never saw any slav-
cry or oppression Of any kind. The 4
Irish have fun civil and religious lib
erty. England oppression Is a myth.
Many things are taxed in England aud |
Scotland that never have been taxed |
IN Ireland, carriages, for instance. |
Motors were never taxed IN Ireland /