The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-06-30
Irish ''President''
Seeks Big Loan

of the Sim Fein movement for Irish
independence, who is now in New
York, has announced his intention of
raising a 100000 loan to set the
financial affairs of the Republic" on
a sound basis. Half of the loan he
proposes to raise in this country, and
half in Ireland When asked whether
the money would be used for the
military organization of Ireland
against Eengland Mr.. de Valera's re-
ply was evasive. The only spesific
thing he would say about the dispo-
sition of the money was that it would
be used for establishing embassies
for the new republic" in France and
Switzerland.
A prepared statement. issued by
Professor de Valera yesterday, reads
in part as follows:
To-day Ireland is being governed
absolutely for the benefit of Eng
land. What news is received in this
country regarding Ireland was sent
you through tainted channels. The
British Government by military force
virtually have possession of the ma
chinery of the Government and pre-
vent our Deputies from carrying out
their form Of Government. The oc-
cupation of Ireland by the British is
similar to what the German occupa-
tion of Belgium was-they control
the machinery of government by mil
itary force.
Our first duty as the elected gov
ernment of the Irish people will be
to make clear to the world the posi-
ton in which Ireland now stands.
There is in Ireland at this moment
only one lawful authority and that
authority is the elected Government
of the Irish Republic"
Those friendly to the aims of the
Irish Nationalist Party for selfgov-
ernment for Ireland similar to that
of Canada or Australia were greatly
disappointed when the Irish conyen-
tion last year, from which so much
was hoped by the best friends of Ire
land, went over to Sim Fein. or the
extreme radical wing. The Irish Ma
tionalist party was defeated by the
stubborn opposition of the Ulster
delegates who gave the control of the
Convention to the Sim Feiners. The
Nationalists demanded only limited
self-goverpment for the Irish people.
To such measure of self-government
the Irish may we'll aspire and for it
they may properly work earnestly and
persistently. But the Sim Fein plan
means an utterly hopeless attempt at
complete disruption from the British
Empire and such plan cannot proper
ly be prompted in any way by or in
this country.
| The analogies so far used by the
distinguished Irish leader now seek
ing in this country, recognition for
] the new "republic.' can not be said
to be convincing. Indeed their chief
Characteristic is their extravaganza.
For instance, in the quotation given
above. Professor de Valera makes
the statement that "the occupation OF
Ireland by the British is similar to
what the German occupation Of Bel
gium was" That statement is, OF
course, inaccurate. The two cases
are in no way similar.
In a former statement the Sim
Fein leader made an analogy which
was more specious but none the less
faulty. He said that our attempts
to get French aid during the Revo-
lutionary war were an exact parallel
to the Irish attempt to get American
aid against England now. The anal
ogy lacks historic truth. France dur
ing the time of our Revolution was
extremely unfriendly to England and
was ANXIOUS IOI dH CASuSC ~ "oSS
war with her. whereas our relations
with England now are entirely diff
ferent-we are anxious to avoid any
such war. In fact the two nations
were never more friendly than at this
moment.
To recognize a revolutionary move
ment in Ireland now would be an
open affront to Great Britain. and.
however much our people may SYM
pathize with the just and reasonable
aspirations of the Irish people for
self government. America cannot al
ford and has no disposition to do any
thing or to tolerate within her bor-
! ders any movement which might be
construed as an attempt to dismem-
Der Great Britain or any other
friendly nation. :.
Red Seal Carbon. paper, Writing
! Fluids. and: :1nks,ss4s Typewriter Rib