Arizona republican., 1919-07-11
THOUSANDS HEAR
 DE VALERA 'SF|RST' PUBLIC ADDRESS
Says Ireland Wants to Be Free from Iron Rule of British-Justice Cohalan Sounds Protest Against League of Nations
rRenubllean.A.e. Eeased Mirel


 NEW YORK. July 10.--An enormous crowd attended meeting tonight in Madison Square Garden under the ads- picas of the Friends of Irish Freedom at which Eamonn de Valera, 'presi- dent of the Irish republic" was the chief speaker Twelve thousand men, women and children forced tEe.r way into the garden before the doors were closed.
 When MT de Valera was introduced, wild cheering burst and the ovation lasted fully 15 minutes The uproar was heard outside and the cheering was taken up in the streets.
 It was MT. de Valera S first public address in this city. Supreme Court Justice Daniel F. Cohalan presided.
 With the Irish president walked for mer Governor Edward F. Dunne of Illinois, Frank P. Walsh, of Kansas City, and Michael J. Ryan of Philadel- phia. who recently returned from France after having, on behalf of Irish ambitions attempted to obtain a hear ing at the peace conference for dele gates representing the Irish republic ,
 League Is Mere Sham"
 Justice Cohalan said the purpose of the meeting was threefold: To pay honor to the president of the Irish republic;' ito welcome home the "Irish-American commissioners and to protest against the proposed league of nations, which is only an attempt | to foist on the world what is nothing more than an Anglo-American al- liance."
 Bedlam broke loose when MT de Va lera, flanked by standard bearers car rying the flags of the United States and Irish republic" advanced to the 1 front of the platform to speak. Cries of de Valera, de Valera" thundered across the auditorium.
 That is New Works recognition of the Irish republic" said MT. de Valera
 ''The fathers of the Irish republic were Orangemen, or rather were | protestants," continued the speaker 1 'I have not forgotten that the idea of i this republic was founded in the north 1 and I am certain that if England s interfering hands were taken away | the appearance of division would dis appear. And when I mention Belfast | it will be news, I am sure, to New York to tell you that in that city there are more Irish nationalists than in Cork
 Irish Want Their Country ] lTlSnmtn WdUL lDelT IL IS rightfully and lawfully theirs.
 'Irishmen want their freedom free dom to live their own lives in their own way, freedom to develop along their own lines, freedom to express their own national individuality in gov ernment, trade. art and literature freedom to raise their own institutions | in accord with their own genius; free | dom to come out once more into the l big world to share in it's activities, to act and be acted upon and to contrib ute their quota to human achievement
 And not least, freedom from the in famous libel spread by the propag ganda 1 of the English government in order tc hide the true nature of their rule ir Ireland, throw dust in the eyes of the people and cover up the truth
 Resolutions were adopted denounc- ing the league of nations as "a device to stifle the conscience of Christendon by prohibiting any nation from takine action to end atrocities perpetrated or peoples held in subjection against their will by an alien government" an6 protesting against the league as "s scheme to fasten upon the United States the abhorrent task of maintain ing the integrity of far flung posses sions of the great empires of ths world" and demanding formal recog- milton of the Irish republic by tht United States.