The Colorado statesman., 1919-02-01

was the next scheduled for presenta-
ton. 1t was said President Wilson
would not submit his scheme until all
others had been heard. not only out of
Difference to the European nations but
in the belief that when the others have
been discussed. his plan may serve to
reconcile the differences that will have
developed. That these differences will
not be great is the belief of Lord Cecil
who says he found in conversations
with the delegates that there was In
very large measure an agreement on
the principles he outlined.
The opening of the Sim Fein p9r-
lament in Dublin, with its formal proc
lamation of the Independence of Ire
land, was perilously near to being
comedy hut may well develop into
tragedy later. Only % members were
present, the others being in jail. They
elected Charles Burgess speaker and
appointed Count Plunkett, Arthur Crit
fiths and Prof Edward De valera
committee to present to the peace CON
ference at Paris the claims of Ireland
to self-determination. The last two
named are in English prisons. The
proceedings of the parliament were
conducted so far as possible in the
Irish Celtic language, with lapses into
English when the former failed.
The government took absolutely no
notice of the meeting of the "Dail
Eireann," as the Irish call their as
sembly. although it was in the Man
sion house, under the very shadow of
Dublin castle. Loyal citizens hung out
an unusual number of union jacks and
some returned soldiers growled n hit.
but there was no disorder. The Brit
lsh government apparently intends 10
ignore the Sim Fem republic until it
undertakes to enforce laws that are in
conflict with those established by the
British; then theArouble is likely to
begin. In the opinion of the loyal
Irish press, the purpose of the par
lament Is to attract the attention of
the world, especially the peace confer
ence. to the case of the Sim Feiners.
and the latter expected and hoped the
assembly would he suppressed by the
police. In this the British fooled
them. not desiring to create any more
Irish martyrs than necessity compels.
If Count Plunkett takes the Sim Fein
declaration to the peace conference II
is liEely to be quietly pgeon-holed.
One result of the Irish matter was
the killing of two policemen who were
guarding quantity Of explosives in
Tipperary and the theft of the eXplos-
ives. Tipperary was at once placed
under the crimes act, which means its
inhabitants are under much the same
restraint as the people in the occupied
parts of Germany. The murder may
be the beginning of IL new period of
terrorism and assassinations.
-Eg-
While new republics are springing
up overnight in Europe. the reaction
aries of Portugal have broken out and
proclaimed the restoration of the mon
archy. The movement is especially
strong in the northern part of the
country. The revolutiOniStS have of
fered the throne to the former king
Manuel, and though he is absolved of
ficialiy of any connection with the up
rising, it is reported he is on vessel
off Oporto awaiting Developments
His lord in waiting at London said
Manuel would return TO his country If
it wished him to do So There is a re-
port that, in case Manuel does not ac-
cept, the invitation of the royalsts,
they will offer the throne to Dom Mig.
uel of BraganZa. who married Anita
Stewart of New Jersey.
1t may be the yellow Peril" alarm
lists in America will be somewhat ST.
fenced by the statement of Viscount
Uchida. minister for foreign affairs. at
the opening of the Japanese parlia-
ment. He declared that Japan had
mo aspiration but to seek the consum-
nation of free and unfettered devel-
opment of her national life along the
highway of justice and peace" and
that she was determined to pursue n
fair and clean policy in all information
al relations" He especially emphasized
his country's friendship for China and
Russia and denied that it would be
Japans policy to take advantage of
the domestic troubles of Russia to pro-
mote selfish aims of territorial or eco
nomic aggression. The Japanese for
eign office also issued denials of "mis-
chievous reports of Japanese actiyi-
ties in China, particularly in regard to
] the granting of loans