The Butler weekly times and the Bates County record. (Butler, Mo.) 1918-1950, 1919-08-14
"a VI "a "
POLITICAL ROT.

(Another HOT Shot from Juulcia
Mind.)
1t is being urged that Irish Dem
ocrats should oppose the League d
Nations, because Irish freedom is
doomed therein. The advocates OF
this step may be classified in this
fashion: % Conscientious Ameri-
cans of Irish birth, who are being
misled; (2) Irish agitators, who are
.pie-eaters out of the fund which can
be raised in the interest of what is
called Irish freedom; go Penthouse
politicians who have never been dis
connected from the Bernstorff prop
uganda fund, cd Opponents to ev-
erythng English.
The sensible Irish-American (if
such title should be recognized)
will not be mislead by either of these
classes. There should be no Irish
Americans any more than there
should be German-Americans. x
true man can and will be an Ameri-
can first. No man can proclaim al
legiance' to two countries. If he
chance to come from Germany and
becomes citizen here, his allegiance
should be to this country aHd-not to
Germany So too, if he comes from
Ireland, and becomes Citizen here,
his allegiance should be here. No
man with the right spirit can serve
two masters. So that in this coun-
try sh-Americans should be just
as scarce as German-Americans.
There is no place here for hyphenat-
ed citizenship. The Irish of this ma
ton are sensible people, and they
will not be misled by those who are
political pilferers, pure and simple.
They will use their good sense, and
the Democratic party will lose only
the few who imagine they have a
vest-pocket possession of the whole.
These few are the ones who benefit
from the funds raised, whether they
be from the one source or the other,
indicated above.
Those blatant, self-serving politi-
clans say that Article. 10 sof the
League puts Ireland out of bsiness.
Let It's look at this from sensible
standpoint. The article reads:
"The Members of the League un-
dcrtook to respect and preserve as
against external aggression the ter
ritorial integrity and existing politi-
cal independence of all Members OF
the League. In case of any such ag-
gression or in case of any threat or
danger of such aggression the Coun-
Gil shall advise upon the means by
which this obligation shall be full
filled"
Note the language. The guaran-
te is against External aggression
There is nothing in this instrument
to prevent Ireland from declaring
her independence of England. She
has the right, and no nation belong
ing to the League of Nations could
interfere. Their only guarantee to
England is to protect her territory
as against External aggression" not
as against revolution within. As
to England the League leaves Ire
land just where the fortunes placed
her long years ago. She is just like
the territory we acquired from Mexi-
CO in 184S. The territory could re-
volt against this government. if it
was thought desirable. and the
League of Nations would have no att
thority to interfere in the contest.
It would be internal aggression" as
against our government, and not "Ex-
ternal aggression" as covered by the
League. If Ireland, Canada. Aus
tralia, or any other component part
of Great Britain wants to establish
a government of its own, the League
of Nations has no application. What
our so-called Irish patriots seem to
want is for this Government to es-
tablish government for them:
They say we re-established Poland
and some Balkan States, why not Ire
land7 They forget that ii doing
what was done in this regard we
were but reducing the power Of the
common enemy, Germany. There
would be as much sense in England
saying to the United States, we will
Z not ratify the treaty and the. League,
because the Philippine Islands have
not been made independent, as for us
to reject the treaty because Ireland,
Australia or Canada has not been
freed. The man of the American or
. Irish descent will not be misled by
this propaganda arising az it does
from personal rather than patriotic
motives.
The Irish situation is As much
pure question for Great Britain as is
the Philippine Island question a
question for the United States. In
either, case the right Of establishing
free government rests with. these
respective people, and the League of
Nations interferes with neither. In
other words this League Of Nations
leaves ireland a free to act Is were
Ne Aueriean Colonies, when we did