The Irish standard., 1919-03-08
Letter That Was to Have Been Left
at White House Published.

scent, appointed at the recent Irish
race convention in Philadelphia, won
its fight today for action by the
House Rules committee to give right
of way in Congress to a resolution in
structing the American delegates at
Paris to urge Ireland's cause before
the peace conference.
After hearing the delegation, which
was headed by Justice John w. Golf
and Daniel F. Cohalan, of New York,
the rules committee agreed to report
out rule making the resolution in
order in the House before adjourn
ment. Later the delegation called at
the White House to see President
Wilson and present to him resolutions
and memorials adopted at the Phila-
delphia convention. They failed to
see the President, but were told that
he would receive them in New York
next Tuesday night after he speaks
at the Metropolitan Opera house on
the league of nations.
Says Yanks Fought For Ireland.
Tonight John P. Grace, former may
or of Charleston, S. c., and member
of the delegation, gave out state
ment saying:
''All during the war it was presumed
that among the small nations America
was fighting to establish in security
was surely Ireland, to which Wash
ington and the patriots Of America
acknowledged they owe more in the
fateful hours of the revolution than to
all other foreign powers combined,
but when the committee from the
Philadelphia convention got to Wash
ington it met with a strong series of
forbidding difficulties.
'sTwenty-one men from as far West
as the Pacific coast and from New
England and the South solemnly left
their important affairs and arrived in
Washington Tuesday night, according,
as they supposed, to an appointment
at the White House on Wednesday to
receive them. Wednesday passed,
Thursday passed, Friday passed and
practically the whole of Saturday and
they have not seen the President yet.
They had great difficulty even in see
ing his secretary.
Committee Asks Showdown.
Word had come to them through
many supposedly authentic channels
that they would be seen at this hour
or that hour or on this day or on that
day. They approached the subject
through senators and attaches of vari-
GUS degrees of Importance at the
White House and elsewhere, but
there was an impenetrable barrier. At
last the committee, in indignation,
made up it's mind that dignity, if moth
ing else, required show down; either
the President, through his buffers,
was trifling with the time and the
rights of American citizens or some
one was failing properly to put the
matter before him. Whatever was
happening, days were passing and he
was about to sail for Europe with the
case of Ireland absolutely untouched
meantime, the press carried re-
ports that at the White House dinner
he had excluded Ireland from the pro-
gram. This was speedily denied by
Mr.. Tumulty but at once reaffirmed
openly on the floor of the Senate.
Told President Is Busy.
"The committee went to the White
House at 1890 today. Received by
Mr.. Tumulty, it was told the Presi
dent was very busy man. Judge Gof1
said that of course he knew this, but
this was a tremendous issue for those
interested. He said he had been
pressing the matter to the President S
attention and expected to hear from
him at almost any moment. Judge
Goff said that he could wait no longer
but that, as a matter of courtesy, the
committee would return at O'Clock
for definite answer.
Meantime Mr.. Tumulty had the
fact communicated to the cOmmlttee
that if it returned at o'clock it would
be Informed that the President would
receive it not in Washington but on
next Tuesday night in New York after
his speech at the Metropolitan theater
The committee, nevertheless went
back at 3 o'clock to be assured in per
son of this fact.
Had Committee Approval.
"The National Democratic Execu
tive committee at it's session this
week had unanimously indorsed the
position of the committee. The com
mittee on foreign relations in the
House had reported resolution sym
pathizing with the case of Ireland, but
this. was held up in the committee on
rules. The committee on rules, how
ever graciOusly received a delegation