The Irish standard., 1919-06-07
TO NEGLECT IRELAND, A BLUNDER
WORSE THAN A CRIME.

TO NEGLECT IRELAND, A BLUNDER |
WORSE THAN A CRIME.
Will the political surgeons engaged in
major operation the world body polite be so
stupid and negligent as to end their abors without
giving any attention to condition Of irritation and
inflammation in their patient that may reduce to
naught all that they have hoped to accomplish by
their protracted and painstaking consultations and
applications. In surgical practice it has frequently
happened that piece of gauge, sponge or bit OF
the operation has been performed and the opening
sewed up, with the result that the patient died or
suffered relapse that necesstated repetition OF
the surgical procedure.
this to be impending at the Peace Conference
in the denial of hearing to the duly chosen repre-
sentatves of Ireland. Indignantly, Mr.. NJ ]. Ryan,
OF the Race Convention delegates asks: "Is
it been the lot of Erin to have been of the op-
pressed peoples of the German, Austrian or Rus
sian empires, internal conditions being the same,
she would unquestionably now be enjoying her free
dom like Poland and the Czecho and Jugo-Slavs.
But because the despotism under which she is
groanng is OF the British brand it is not to be inter
fered with Was it then to curb the tyranny and
autocracy of certain particular nations only that
the world fought, it against all
such anachronsms of government wherever found?
A plebiscite of our fighting forces on this point
would be highly interesting Roosevelt, Jr., to the
contrary notwithstanding. If it could have been
saries to America to secure our help that in the
event of victory result of participation the
claims of ireland would still be denied hearing
at the peace table would not that consideration
have vital part in reaching decision on the
matter? If we could have foreseen the situation
with reference to Ireland as it stands, would
we not have said to the British statesmen: "Very
well gentlemen if you cannot your way clear to
have the American principles of democracy applied
to Ireland in equal measure with that of the other
trepreSSed nations, you may go and fight your
own battles with the Central Powers, We wish you
success but if you desire American help, you should
be willing to cooperate with us i'll the establish
ment of the principles Of justice and righteousness
that have been laid down clearly and forciby by
President Wilson, If our foresight had been as
good as hindsight, this might we'll have been
our attitude in the premises.
But now the business OF peace-mak1ng and the
formulating of international policies that intend
ed to establish permanent peace in the world, IS
about to close without attention to the wrongs of
Ireland The worlds wounds are to be sewed up
while at least dangerous source of infection is
left wthn-that of the ranking Irish discomfort at
British domination. Skillful and dexterous the
political surgeons may have been in the perform
ances of their great operation, it is to be feared
that no permanent cure for the world patient can
possibly be effected under these conditions. The
old or similar troubles will recur to the vexa-
ton and embarrassment of mankind, possibly ne
cessitating repetition of the cutting process on
larger and more thorough scale.
~ As America shares in the responsibility of the
whole procedure it therefore becomes duty to
see it that before its close the status of Ireland
shall be fully investigated and analyzed as Po-
tentia of recurrence of world disturbance. To
fall short of this is to stulty our definite and oft
the rest of mankind to the consequences of our neg
ligence To neglect Ireland would be blunder
which is often in diplomacy worse than crime
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