The sun., 1919-10-12
Us CONVERTING
ENGLISHMEN TO
IRISH FREEDOM
Parties Are Surprised at
Americas Strong Support
for Sim Feiners.
IRELAND'S HOUR AT HAND
Revolt May Come if Self-Gov-
eminent Is Not Granted
to Island.
iRELAND'S HOUR AT HAND
NJ SHAW DESMOND.


LONDON, Sept. 20.
This is Ireland's hour. There Is not
an Irishman throughout the world
who does not feel 1t. England herself
Is feeling It. Even her statesmen,
policy-muddled, have the dim fore
Bhadowing. In the twilight of the gods
that to-day broods over ireland the
Irishman, whether fisherman or
Southerner, feels 1t. It is a feeling
that rises above economic contentious,
above policy, above reason itself.
Before that hour strikes, and with
the first stroke, Time will once more
focus the attention OF the world on
ireland. Let us. while we are still
brain-clear, review the "orientation"
Of Ireland to the British Empire, and
let us do 1t dispassionately. In this
moment, when the writer at least be-
lieves We are standing at the threshold
OF a great tragedy, We must at AL
costs think without the blurring of
passion. Only clear thinking can avert
that tragedy-for do we not learn from
the lore of the ancients that even Fate
herself can be turned7
Party Views Changed.
How do to-day's British political
parties view Ireland?
First the war. and then America
always America-has completely
changed the party view. To the Con-
servatives there are no Unionists to-
day except in northeast Ulster) Ire
land is still q sealed book-the Irish
complex as labyrinthine as that Of
China or India. They believe entirely
and they are entirely honest In their
belief-in the Union. regard the Irish
celt as q rebel dreamer, and think him
outside the pale OF reason because he
still bitches his wagon to a star"
instead Of Harvesting 1t to the solid
earth of empire. They are against
Homo Rule. They have learned moth
ing because they have not the power
to forget. But because the 700 years
struggle has tired them. because the
war has shown Ireland the irrecon-
cilable. and because they see the men,
ace to the empire of the empires pow
der magazine, they are willing to
grant measure of home rule-if the
Irish can agree. They have become
"devolution homo rulers"
But the point of their intellectual ig-
milton has been America. They are
astonished to find that Americans
without distinction are ardent Irish
men" whether they have Irish blood
or not When they hear of the Sim
Fein colors being carried down Fifth
avenue by New York regiments who
are as anti-German as any Conserv-
etive among them they think 1t a hor-
rid dream. To them it is as insoluble
as 30 many other things American.
But It has to be reckoned with. Amer
lea has to be reckoned with. Some
OF them are asking: Surprising
rtsh-America demands payment Of
what England owes-principal and
intsrest2 supposingT'
support II Passionlsss.
Tho Liberals7 Wen. there arc no
liberals In England except q few Old
Men Of the Sea who dream their
dreams Of q beatiflc free trade world
on their back benches IN q House of
commons which has become the sep
ulchre Of their dead hopes. But the
people who call themselves Liberals,
Who under the magic pipings Of an
enchanted Weishman have been led
into the wilderness Of the Coalition
Government and have to-day them
selves become the politicians of No
Mans Land-these people are Home
Rulers. as they always have been from
tne time Of Gladstone. The welshman
himself. Mr.. Lloyd George. is also a
Home Ruler, though no Irishman be-
neves 1t With them. Home Rule Is
an article OF faith-but a faith without
Sassion. And faith without passion Is
dead thing.
Labor2 Labor has always been
Home Rule. With Labor, Home Rule
Is also an article of faith without
passion, but a faith animated by fair
play
30 much for the political parties.
Now for the people who follow them,
for there 10 q difference between
democracy ana its leaders, as there Ii
between democracy and the democrat.
There never was q time in Eng
nnd when the broad masses were
really intrigued about Ireland. The
men who have made Homo Rule an
Issue In English elections have been
= handful II has been said that
gladstone was the only genuine Home
Ruler In his own Liberal Home Rule
party. But to-day. II a vote, freed
rom party. were taken OF England,
scotland and Wales the great ma
lority would vote Home Rule-nay,
more, with stomach questions to-day
absorbing all others they would per-
maps view even separation itself with
ecuanimity. To the man In the street
ireland Il q damnable nuisance. To
MN she IL incomprehensible. But.
Is one Of them put II the other day.
ior the average Engiishman .is honest,
his god fair play: "well. IL she wants
70 go to hell. in Gods name let her
soT To the British mind. going to
nell and breaking out Of leading
strings are synonymous.
Lloyd George Not Free.
England Is only waiting for a lead
nom the Government. The Govern
ment cannot give Il. for II has no
leaders. Lloyd oeorgs. who at one
uns might ha<s dana ~ = to-day.