Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-07-18
THE HANDS OFF POLICY

1900 liz Dt%SH~A
have proceeded on the theory that matters will s%traishten
themselves out if let alone. One term often applied to the
resultant policy is "muddnng through" And the British
have muddled through a good many things. and have
emerged on the whole in a very satisfactory manner.
Conspicuous among the things which the British have
been in the habit of letting alone are those outpourings of
spirit which have taken the form of denunciation of gov
eminent and governmental activities. involving expressions
which, in many cases. have fallen very little short Of trea-
son and sedition. To denounce his government is some
thing which the Briton considers a sacred and inalienable
right. a right to be enjoyed by himself. and to be extend
ed with fine impartiality to the stranger within his gates.
One needs but a very slight familiarity with the work
of British writer's to have formed a clearly defined i'm
preston Of the village ale house as the forum in which
the provincial British subject feels free to air his views of
the shortcomings OF those in authority, and in these dis
cussions many a ton Of political dynamite has exhausted
itself harmlessly in the unresisting air. To some Of us at
a distance Trafalgar square seems to be a standing men
ace to the whole British empire. for there, in the shadow
of the monument, anarchists and revolutionists of every
type are accustomed to harransue great crowds. to fan
the flames of discomfort, and to breathe fire and slaugh-
ter against the powers that be. But, while the orators de-
upon Trafalgar square as a safety-valve rather than a
menace. and. in case of need. surrounds the ~inflammatory
orators with cordons of police to protect them from the
angry crowds which, on occasions. exhibit a startling will
ingness to tear said orators to pieces. The theory seems
to be that if the orators are given full opportunity to talk
they will not do much else.
That this practice has not prevented the growth of
revolutionary sentiment in the United Kingdom is clear
But there is good reason to believe that, followed within
certain limits, at least, it has been less stimulating to the
growth Of such sentiment than a policy Of severe repres-
sion would have been. If the revolutionary sentiment
which has been freely expressed had been bottled up, de-
structive explosions would have been pretty certain. The
situation in Ireland. however, suggests the thought that
there must be limits beyond which the pursuance of such
a course is wise or safe, and the inquiry as to what these
limits are.
In Ireland today we have the strange spectacle of
what purports to be a separate and independent nation
attempting to function within the jurisdiction Of another
nation: or the recognized legal government and a revolu-
tionary government proceeding side by side: of the author
iy of the legal government denied and held in contempt
by a considerable share of the population; of men elected
the central governing body of the nation segresatins
their own. On the other hand. we see Ireland in another
section of the population armed, resting on its arms. and
prepared to resist by force the execution of laws which
the central legislative body has shown a disposition to en-
act. And we see the principal leader of this group, Sir
Edward Carson, himself not long since a member of the
British parliament, renewing his threat that the men of
Ulster will fight to the death rather than permit a dis
tasteful act of parliament to 60 into effect.
Repression has been tried in Ireland, and the results
are not satisfactory: liberality has been practiced, and no
end is in sight The greatest obstacle in the way o, a
satisfactory settlement is the manifest lack of acconmo-
dation among the various groups of the Irish people. Lack
ing that spirit, it is going to be a difficult job for anv out
side agency to settle the Irish troubles.