The Irish standard., 1919-11-01
CONTINUED from Pare 81

(N00Cl00e0 nom E4&e ID
League Of Nations, but the best way to
prevent progress in that line is to have
false League of Nations to start
with. We hold that this one is step
backward, and not a step forward. We
hold 1t is form to shackle democracy,
and not to free democracy. And
therefore we say that If those who
want to form that league or frame that
covenant, wanted League of Nations,
they would not tell us, "Wait until this
thing is over and wait until that thing
is over-wait on the benevolent inter-
est of this other nations representa-
tive or that other nations representa-
tive" They would have set forth, as
fundamental principle, this: That
every nation that was nation, and
that could prove its people wanted the
right of self-determifation, that there
was means by which a nation having
determined itself in certain way and
having government set up on the
basis of that self-determination, could
come before a court, established by
the league, and could come before that
as a matter of right, to have their
case heard against the nation-against
the nation that wanted to have them
kept in slavery against the will of the
people. (Great Applause.)
There is no such clause in the pro-
posed League of Nations. There is no
way by which an Irish representative
can come before any court and claim
before that court as right-not as a
favor, but as right-that he should
be heard for his people, and that the
case of his people should be tried by
that court. 1t is not true to say that
this proposed covenant or this pro-
posed court will give Ireland any op-
portunity of stating her case. It is
not provided in it, And England's
representative can at once, the mo-
ment any proposition is made by the
representative of any other country
in that council-England' representa-
tive can stand up and say, 1T must not
be so. This is, for us; it is an in
ternal domestic question" 1nterna-
tiOnal law has it that Ireland and that
Egypt and that India are part Of Eng
lands dominions "These people must
not be heard. That is business for
us to settle. That is no business of
yours" Because you have in that
covenant an article which says that
that court cannot consider domestic
question, and If you want to prevent
England from being in a position to
claim Ireland as domestic question,
you must act before you sign that cove
nant, and not afterwards. (Applause.)
think have said enough to point
out that the action of those who tell
us, ooh, every beginning is weak, and
it is the best we could do," and so on,
about this, they who ask us to wait
over and see what will come, are sim
ply like people who tell us, "Let your
steed be stolen and tomorrow you will
have an opportunity of hunting for it. -
We take the attitude that the time to
see that the steed is not stolen Is be-
fore an attempt is made to steal him,
or at least. to forestall the attempt
when we see it, and that now is the
time for the American people, If they
want to found real league Of ma
tions-I have not said which side you
will take, that is for you to consider,
but if you are forming a League of
Nations it is your duty to form it on
basis of justice, and it is certainly
your duty to see that it does not keep
nation in slavery, small nation, a
nation that has done you no harm, but
a nation that has been associated with
you by closer ties than any other