Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1919-05-24
Realize Entente Can Not BE Cordial
While Erin Is Denied Her
Rights.
League of Nations Covenant Vital
TO Britain, But Not TO
America.
ESSENTIAL PART or INQUIRY.

AhAlety Tor settlement of the
irish question is manifsteing itself
strongly in all the British parties
including the hitherto hostile Tories
me Labor party was scheduled IN
take action on this vital subject
during the past week 1t is said that
victor Hartshon, one of the most
powerful of the leaders of the
welsh miners. will propose a home
rule motion in Parliament which
VIII be seconded by Jack Jones. an
lrishman, who is a popular labor
leader in England. Both the Brit
ism masses and classes have appar-
emily come to realizing sense of
the fact that the entente between
America and Britain can never be
cordial or solid while Erin is de-
MED the right of self-govemment
and without America whole-heart-
ed support the League of Nations is
doomed to status little less i'm
| portant than that of the old Hague
| tribunal
The League of Nations covenant
IS vital to Britain, but not necessar-
! lily so to America. If a referendum
is taken on the matter as is now
indicated, the fate of the league
may be decided in this country. An
adverse popular expression of the
ballots would consign it to the in
ternational scrap pile, notwithstand-
ing the arduous labors of President
Wilson. This the Britishers are
coming to apprehend. and they
know that much will depend for the
success of the league project on the
treatment ,of Ireland's troubles.
Hence the British nervousness for
the speedy elimination of this ques-
ton from International politics.
America is now asked to enter
into an alliance with the other great
powers of the world for the purpose
! of establishing permanent intena-
tional peace. IL becomes pertinent
therefore. as pointed out in the
Irish Standard. to inquire into and
consider the character and honesty
of our associates in the pursuit of
this objective, the most important
of which is Great Britain The re-
lations of that empire with ireland
are an essential part of such an in
quiry, for the two countries are
| separated by only a few miles of
sea, and it is an easy matter to con
troll the functions of government in
the smaller island, whether for good
or i'll. And what does the record of
past and current history disclose
with reference to the good faith and
fair dealing of Great Britain-one
of our cO-signatOries of the League
of Nations? Does it not bristle with
chicanery and perfidy? Is il not
filled with the debris of broken con-
tracts and unredeemed spledges Of
h.AY, .,4 81.
agreements which were converted
into mere scraps of paper when at
the dictation of self-interest or ex-
pediency? Does it not show par
TALLY and inequality in the admin
istratibn of its own statutes-as in
1 the case of the execution of Roger
/ Easement and the immunity and
promotion of Sir Edward Carson?
Has it not baked and stalled in the
! institution of home rule. duly en-
acted in its own statutes, because
of intimidation and threats of few
recalcftrant Orangemen in Ulster,
thus violating the fundamental
principles of democracy, and put
ting a gag. on the overwhelming ma
jority of the Irish people? Has il
not equalled or surpassed German
savageiy in the treatment accorded
to the brave men who rose TO assert
the natural rights of their country
IN the rebellion of 1916? Has it
not been similarly brutal in its
treatment of the Sim Fem prison
ers who were subjected to ignomin-
ious Incarceration under the smoke
screen of an alleged German plot.
and who were denied the right of a
hearing. and trial? And does it not
even yet hold many of these men as
prisoners six months after the sign
ing of the armistice? Does it not
deny to Ireland the principles of
democracy which British statesmen
have proclaimed to the world as
the fundamental right of many Eu-
ropean peoples wherein the interests
of Britain were not involved?
It is with such a record that
Britain must face America and the
world in the consideration of the
League of Nations compact. 1t is
small wonder therefore that Eng
lishmen are manifesting some anx-
, iety to find a satisfactory solution
of the Irish question SO as to enter
the world tribunal with clean hands.
After all, the league quest for
peace may turn out to be a bluebird
affair so far as American is concern
ed. Americans have not yet, at any
rate, reached that stage of rapture
for Anglo-Saxonism which would
permit them to gulp down without
reservation the sublimated phan-
tasms of Rhodes and Carnegie