The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-02-14
By J. Grattan Grey.
on1 the Dearborn Independent. )

(F'ronl the Dearborn Independent.)
 Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 31.-(By Mail)-Monday, November 8, 1919. long will be remembered as the day and date of the most important event that has yet occurred in the historical annals Of the Irish race at the anti podes. People of Irish birth and de- scent assembled in thousands to pro- claim their earnest sympathy and CO., operation with the people of Ireland in their demand for lf-determina- ton in the government of their own country
 Convened by the Most Reverend Dr. Mannix, Catholic Archbishop of Mel bourne the Irish-Race Convention could not have been more thoroughly representative of the whole of Aus tralasia, lay and clerical. Specially appointed delegates poured into Mel bourne from every part of the Aus tralian Continent, from tha far-off Dominion of New Zealand and from the island state of Tasmania, which was intimately associated with Ire- land in the days when known by it's original name of Van Diemens Land, it was the place of enforced exile of such self-sacrificing patriots as Will liam Smith O'Brien, John Mitchell John, Martin, Thomas Francis Meagh- CT, (after his escape to America known there as Meagher of the Sword) ana other transported leaders of the 1S4s movement; and in Ia ter times of John Boyle O'Rielly and other prominent Irishmen connected with the Fenian rising, who were sent to Tasmania and some to Western Australia, under various sentences.
 Altogether, about two thousand delegates gravitated to Melbourne, ac- companied by members of the whole Austfalasian hierarcEy-archbisho bishops deans priests, college pro- fessors in holy orders and secular, bringing in their train Irishmen from all points of the compass who although not officially appointed delegates, de- sired to take part in this monster de- monstration on behalf of their native land.
 And let there be no mtsapprehension about the matter. Although for the greater part essentially Catholic in its composition, the huge demonstration was so dtvested to any purely religious or sectarian attributes that thousands , of Irish Pratestants, many of them natives of Ulster or descendants of Ulstermen, raised their voices, both , at the convention and at the great open-air assemblage in the evening, in support of the resolutions which voiced the AustralaSian sentiment Of self-determination for Ireland.
 A few weeks before, the announce ment was made by the Most Reverend Dr. Mannix that the convention would be of the greatest importance to all interested in the Irish question.
 ''If public opinion counts for any thing" he said 'the convention is going to give Lloyd George and those fOI hi iy, Es,oSr nd O. thing to think about. If they fail to hear the voice of the convention, the people participating in 1t will never settle down to perfect peace till jus tice is done to that little country to which they owe so much.
 sWhen America voiced an opinion on self f-determination for Ireland, Sir Edward Carson said she ought to mind her own business. Englishmen did not tell America to mind her own 1 business when they were running away before the Germans, calling to l America for assistance. Then they were mute and plausible. He did not 1 know whether America was minding i her own business when she came into ! the war, but she certainly was when endeavoring to bring John Bull to his
 duty. If the public opinion of the Commonwealth and of the Dominion of New Zealand and of South Africa is to count for anything, MT. Lloyd George and some other people in Eng
 land, will as a result of the conven-
 ton, have plenty of food for thought It will be, without doubt, the most representative meeting yet held in
 Australia If those people in London
 refuse to listen to the demand of the Irish Race Convention, then those | people can take it for granted that the
 people of Australia, of America, anc
 of South Africa will never settle down
 to perfect peace till justice has been
 donej to Ireland. Not only are the
 people of America and of South Af-
 rica hostile to England, but there is
 not one of the small nations which is
 favorable to her, or would take part with her against Ireland"
 It was at first intended that the
 convention should meet in the Cathe-
 draI Hall, but large as it is, it was
 considered to be too small to accom-
 modate the 2.000 delegates and
 the thousands of others who were
 anxious to be present. Therefore the
 spacious Auditorium in Collins stree
 was procured for the purpose.
 was fortunate in being one of those
 to whom invitations were issued bS
 Archbishop Mannix. say fortunate because I would not have missed sucE an exhibition of downright earnest ness and fervent patriotism for more than I can tell, to say nothing of the
 exceptional flow of oratory and the
 outbursts of cheering that frequently
 took place when telling points were
 made by the speakers. The whole atmosphere of the convention brough vividly to my mind my personal rec 1 collections of that great convention in the Round Room of the Rotunda, IT Dublin, toward the end of 1900, wher J ohn Redmond was appointed leade' of the Irish Parliamentary party il the British House of Commons. Arriving at the Auditorium, con siderable time in advance of the hou fixed for the opening of the conven ton, I found pouring into the build ing as fast as the crowded condition of the entrances would permit, stream of orderly and well-dresse men and women which bore con :. siderable resemblance to the crowd e saw just nineteen years ago stream s ing into the Round Room Of the his !, l +orio Rotunda to take part in the na