The Evening Missourian., 1919-01-13
IRELAND IS MOVED BY
PLUNKETT'S APPEAL
Urges Non-Partisan Move
ment-Voices Calm Note
in Election Chaos.
HEARD
Would Aid All Who Accept
Self-GOvernment Within
the Empire.
Bv X. WALTER

81 rasnonse has come from all over the
81 island to d letter from Sir Horce
punkett published in the Dublin
newspapers.
The letter was not a return to poll
tics although it gave moderate yet
informing survey of the political tan
ole into which the Irish problem has
Il baen drifting ever since the beginning
of the war.
Sir Horace has taken no part in
Irish party politics for many years,
having devoted himself entirely to the
nromotion of his country's agricultural
nrogress. which under his guidance as
founder and president of the Irish
Agricultural Cooperative Society has
greatly surpassed that of England.
His letter concluded with an appeal
ISIor what is likely to become another
imporaut non-partisan movement, for
If seems to have appealed to the Irish
neople as a new call to the cOlors of
neace. irrespective of party. 1t was
the one calm note sounded in the
bIare of the recent election campaign,
the most chaotic ever known in Ire
land
There have naturally been many
attempts to draw Sir Horace Plunkett
into the political arena. His reply to
those who urge him to head new
partv based on the agreement among
the moderate sections which he
brought about in the convention (and
many such suggestions have come
from the United States) is contained
in this paragraph:
Moderates Heard at Last.
THE government divides the popu-
lation into three sections: The ex-
tremists of the North, who are fos-
tered; the extremists of the South,
who are coerced; the moderate men
everywhere, who are ignored.
The bitter cry of this last section
is beginning to be heard in a call for
middle party and this letter is In
response to a suggestion from several
ouarters that | should attempt its or
ganization.
"If a political leader were the need
of the hour | should certainly be the
last to step into the breach; never
was | less inclined to involve myseh
in political controversy; indeed l had
MANNED a rest in preparation Tor fu-
ture work But personal cOnsldera-
tions must be put aside and even
prudence cast to the winds in view OF
the dangers which lie ahead of us, the
reality and imminence of which seem
to be imperfectly understood.
These dangers are not merely polltl-
cal, Sir Horace warns his country
men: they threaten the economic lie
of the country-industry as well as
gricultural-because the dlvldlng
line between business and politics Is
rapidlv disappearing" This. then Is
the position as it affects Ireland.
Economic Interests in Balance.
AT least nine-tenths of our products
find a market in the United Kingdom.
Most of the raw materials required III
our industry are derived from the nat
uraI resources of the British Empire.
At Westminster will be decided the
ALLEGATION OF these raw materlals'
which will presumably go first OF all
to the peoples of these islands, next
to their Allies and neutrals, last u
their former enemies.
THE state is now acting as whole-
sale merchant for most OF the agrl-
cultural produce we export. III VIII
probably continue to regulate SNIP
ming. and naturally will give priority
of service to friendly communities.
British capital and British goodwin
will both be important factors III ue-
-Ssrmining the part our west oo"'I
harbors are to play in making lrelanu
the gateway between the Old Woriu
and the New. 1t three-quarters OF the
people are. by their own CHOICE uhrep-
resented in the British Parliament, lhe
world will not credit us with either
political or economic sense. Inc
most innocent peasant would regaru
such a policy as tantamount to stay
ing away from a fair where MS pigs
and poultry were being bought anu
sold"
Thus il is not so much political par
tition in itself that Sir Horace regarus
as the ominous feature OF the sl'ua-
ton. but the scheme of economic par
tition launched by Sir Edward Carson
in his electoral campaign in Beilas''
If the scheme works out, the Dene-
fit of United Kingdom reconstruction
will be strictly confined to the COM
munity he leads. The most the resi-
of Ireland can hope for is such crumbs
as fall from the Ulster table" And
the letter concludes:
Would Stay in Empire.
What. in these circumstances
which so urgently call for action, can
be accomplished by the moderate men
of the country? | do not think II
Would be wise to start a new party