El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-02-25
LET IRELAND'S WISH BE GRANTED;
VOTE ON THE QUESTION OF FREEDOM

UhULAAE1 n united o-a-Ia u -A-a- -AN~-9- 80
n beginning strong effort to induce the peace confer
enre at Paris to secure independence for Ireland
Cardinal Gibbons Of the delegates al the confer
eucs has submitted resolution calling on president vi"
n 10 urge the peace conference to apply the doctrine OF
self determination TO Ireland
Justice Daniel F. Cohalan, Of the New York supreme
court has declared that unless the doctrine Of self deter
uaton Be applied Ireland there could beNnC Just and
permanent peace The right Of the IEsh to liberty has
been emphasized By the very Rev Peter + Magennis
president Of the FfieHds Of Irish Freedom
The stressed in the convention was that # the
Czshs SloTa Poles LithuaHians and Finanders are to
Be free, the liberty ought TO be accorded TO Ireland
that self determination should not be applied only to
peoples been held in subsection by enemy powers
Taking fo- granted that the Gibbons resolution viii
60 % president Wilson, i IS very doubtful whether the
president VIII T. IN the past, when his interveu
ton has been asked by Irish secessonsts M Wilson has
taken the position that the disposition Of Ielands al
fairs lies entirely with Great Britain; that II is matter
Of domestic policy II which the United States cannot inter
feIs with good grace He has made public uterance
Gently 10 indicate that be has changed his mind.
Those Americans who not wrapped up IN the dream
q Irish independence would regard that project IA
Toraby had reands course IN the var been different Dut
the PrOGeTman attitude Of part Of Ireland could hardly
Re expected 10 VII sympathy in this country for lrsh 0-
eT The proved connection between the Sim FEN party
and Germany irritating The refusal Of most Of Ire
lard countenance either voluntary recruiting
ption did not add 10 the esteem with which Americans
regarded Ireland The only mitigating Circumstance
the fact that certain Irish regiments in the at
the beginning fought with traditional gaantry died as
spisnddly brave men die-and were recruited up
again With utmost difficulty These thousands OF Irish
who rsked everything for the allied Just saved
Ireland from the stigma OF shame.
Irish opposition 10 general participation IN the
based, OF course, uuwngness 10 fight Englands bat
ties Il stubbouly refused that the Of the
allies also the Of Ireland; that the
tonic menace which alarmed them also endangered Ire
lands future. They claimed be willing live under
Germauys rule Engands and they often leagued with
the Huns whenever opportunity offered Their chief agent
Sir Roger easement spent much time in the German prison
camps where sh held prisoners and attempted 70
recruit them into forces which be transported by
Germany 20 Ireland 10 fight the British The Sim Fem
element known TO be favorable 10 German invasion
and planned uprising their own account expecting
receive arms and ammunition from Germany.
However, the SIM Fem element did then, and does
not nov, represent majority sentiment in Ireland. part
Of Ireland desires home rule but Independence real
ling how weak Ireland would be If left stand alone
Another part desires neither independence nor home rule
What party is n the majority is uncertain
Although lrelands has not been calculated
10 VIII support for the project Of Independence be
good idea II Great Britain 10 consent for the doc
TINE Of self determination TO be applied to Ireland Let
vote Of the people be taken what form Of govern
meut they prefer. II majority were Cor independence
let L be granted The chances that in few years Ire
lands napay for self government would have been dem
onstrated # majority were for home rule under the
British empire, let that be granted vote would have
re virtue o. showing what the majority sentiment in Ire
land really and would also be an application in an al
he'd country Of the principle Of self determination This
would do away With the charge Of unfair discrimination