South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-22
Other Editors Than Ours
IRELAND.
lThc "New Rcnublic." y


With the consent of the British government three
American ENJOYS have been touring ireland. All
during their visit stream of British criticism has
been directed against these visitors, with not little
collateral criticism Of Lloyd George and Pres't Will
son. Why should PRIEST Wilson be blamed? RE might
ordered that passports be refused TO these en-
voys n that way. "a least temporarily. he might
have saved England from the brunt of Irish Amer
lean criticism. lie might eves have taken on the
whole load himself But that is expecting good
deal. When ne himself as The great proponent OF
gospel of self determination gave interview
an Irish American committee he did everything
-eVert a the of his reputation for standing by
his word-that the most correct English diplomacy
could demand. 1t is not reasonable 10 carp at him
support the fiction that it has no existence in
America. If Americans openly express their opinions
IN Ireland. he cannot cut THEN heads Off And even
if he had CALAMITY refused passports and saved
pearances il would not have sufocated the Ameri-
can opinion that favors Irish sef-determination.
Most Americans implicitly agree with the Man
chester Guardian OF few weeks back the Ques-
ton of ireland not merely domestic question.
deeply affects credit the world and
relations with least other great state And
again. is instinct that draws the eyes and
hope of ireland the conference" According 10
cid notions of sovereignty. course the Irish dues
tion is nseed a domestic" question and ought not
tC be aggravated from outside. But such notions of
soveregnity directed in America against the League
Ct Nations, are archaic. The typical undemocratc
view that dominant. state do it likes with
Its own" when its own" historically alien has
little real backing this country. IL is clearly
ognzed that the ultimate of sovereignty is
sent that the absence of society almost
certain TO become polluted and the corruption that
Iccumulates and spreads cannot be ignored because
of any plausible surface assertion of sovereignty.
The excursion Of Mr. Walsh and his co-workers in
the vineyard. therefore is rightly Judged 10y its
aton to the merits of the Irish question and not 10y
diplomatic etiquette which is necessarily sub
serytent of tho status quo
Messrs. Walsh, Dunno and Ryan undoubtedly rep
resent a large body of opinion. According To Sir
Horace Plunkett public opinion in America today
more aroused against England than ne has known il
be years. and while the opinion thus described
be largely Irish-American, tarred with the
brush of organized politics Tlunketts estimate is
sam scrupulously honest estimate and thought
help Englishmen TO the visit of the American
delegates in rSpective There may be bIoodshed i'm
ireland. the New York Times prophesied sun
Gay. and when il comes about il may appear Eng
Iishmen as si another proof of Irish lawlessness.
but Mr.. AsguithS recent contemptous denunciatiou
of the governments Irish policy unites with the
news of military activity in ireland give the most
cautious observer the conviction that the British
The American delegates arrived in Dublin last week
"a hnd their reception hall-the Mansion House OF
Dublin-suuounded 10y British troops armed with
machine guns pursuing two political runaways. The
constant display of British troops Ireland
tainly not designed promote constitutional agita-
tion. has plain military necessity back of H. In
is political demonstration and practically amounts
to the announcement that Ireland's
ton must coincide with Enganc's pre-determina-
ton. even il the allies shouted self-determina-
ton until they black in the
Nothing has yet altered the fact that the doctrine
of sclf-determnation is "a most significant and in-
dispensable international doctrine. and one as
serts that the United States espoused hypo-crc-
ally. The English teJl4c this argument.
In every possible way by censorship and embassy
and speaker and writer. they are battling TO win
American opinion IN regard TO the domestic ques-
ton OF ireland But II is hard battle for il while
parading tanks and bombing planes and machine
suns IN Ireland. II Is hard battle while
writing under the candor of the. American envoys
Do would ice better obviously either TO meet Irish
demands for set-determnation iu q constitutional
manner or else 20 convince the world that there is
no Irish question. that majority Irish really
do want 90 remain British subjects Of their own free
Will"