The Irish standard., 1919-08-09
THE Y. M. C. A. AS A COG IN BRITISH
MACHINERY PROPAGANDA.


MACHINERY PROPAGANDA.
Is the Young Mems Christian Association, an
organization that has heretofore enjoyed the gen
eral confidence and esteem of the whole American
people, about be subsidized in the interests of
British propaganda in the United States? This
that the National War Council of the Association
has recently issued and promugat thrteen-page
pamphlet entitled "Some of the Facts About the
British" which is virtual endorsement of the
statement recently made by General Douglas Haig
that it England that won the war. 1t can be
readily understood why the British military COM
mander should have permitted himself to be deluded
into making such ill-timed and ill-advised dec
laration, and though it got the goat of Americans
and perhaps the other allies to hear this bit of
British swagger and bombast, there was dispo-
sition to condone the egotism and narrowness of
General Hag because of the record of his service
on the field.
But what can be said in extenuation of the Ameri-
can Y. M: c. A. in making its organization vehicle
tor the dissemination of the outandish and prepos-
ferrous proposition among the people of the United
States, and that too with the aid of moneys col
.lected for the War Chest Fund.- Details of the
affair given in the news columns of this issue,
and they will prove we'll worth reading and think
ing about.
1t Joseph C. Pelletier district attorney of
Boston and Supreme Advocate of the Knights of
Columbus who called public attention to this fla
grant abuse of the prestige of the association and
Chest treasury in their use for such publication
as the one in question. MIR. Pelletier addressed
letter of protest to Dr. John r. Mott general secre
tary of the Y M. c. A. against the issue and crcu
lation of such pamphlet, in which all the glory
of the victory of the is given to Britain, with
not word to the credit of America or the other
Allies. Having received reply from one of the
Y M. c. A. officials that the pamphlet published
at the suggestion of the War Department for the
purpose of advising enlisted Americans concerning
the part played by the British Empire in the war
with Germany" Mr. Pelletier thereupon framed
a still more emphatic denuncation of the publica-
ton and addressed it to Secretary of War Baker.
Calling attention to the Interpretation given by the
American doughboys to the initials "A. E. r.
After England Faed-he proceeds:
''Why then should moneys contributed by our
people to help win the war be expended for pub
LEGATION in more than half of which there is nothing
said of the war, but much to eulogize and exalt
Great Britain, and prove hers better government
than OURS, while the remaining pages describe only
what England did, without ever mention of our
aid or that of the other powers which were assoc
ciated with us"
Mr.. Pelletier also directs attention to the innu-
endo contained in the morale" literature of the
association in respect to Ireland in the statement
that there some people who are trying to
make bad blood between us and our Allies. Obvi-
ously this reference pertains to the efforts Of the
friends of Ireland in America to secure salts
factory adjustment of the Irish status before the
door of opportunity is closed therefor by the adop
ton of the League of Nations pact We suspect, in
deed, that herein lies the real basis and true ex-
PLANTATION of the morale pamphlet The British
authorities have been dumbfounded and befudded
to learn the deep-seated and widespread interest
Americans have shown in the cause of Irish justice
and in the necessity of an adjustment of Irelands
problems. With characteristic chicanery they have
therefore insidiously sought to add the Y M C. A.
to their machinery of British propaganda here.
Hence the morale document, which the Y. M.
c. A. authorities have permitted to be issued under
the auspices of their organization-a publication
that is at an insult to fighting forces and
source of humiliation to the American government
and the American people.
As we study more intensively the League of
Nations compact we are forced to the inevitable
conclusion that British diplomacy and intrigue have
outponted at Paris. Even the many sided ideal
ism of President Wilson has been battered out of
all semblance to its original form. Nothing seems
be left to us but to pay the bills and provide the
credits for the rehabilitation of the mathematical
and bankrupt nations of the old world Are we to
submit to further disregard and humiliation in the
interests Of the world hegemony of Great Britain?
And are we to permit our own moneys to be
diverted from their intended channels, as in the case
sof tles y. NJ. "A pamphlet, to exalt and glorify
John Bull Is it not high time that we should come
to- realizing sense of the fact that we are being
trained by the British world managers for role Of
their making in the new drama of the nations and
role TO BE subsidiary one to that Of the
IS John Bill, Esq.