Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-01-06
r. E. POWERS ON IRISH
FREEDOM

4
News, will be of interest to his Wau-
sau friends. The Pilot publishes the
same in full, viz:
In recent issue of the Ada News
noticed an editorial bearing on the
lquestion of freedom for Ireland; or,
in other words, the right of self-deter-
mination which, under President VIII
sons fourteen points," accepted by
England, France and the other allies
of this country, should be the basis
of a treaty of peace
The News editor, it seems, would
have his readers believe the friends of
Irish freedom in this country would
like nothing better than to plunge the
United States into war with England
over the Irish question. The record
does not give him the least justifica-
ton for making such an assertion; but
he might not be far amiss if he stated
that all loyal, red-blooded Americans
of Irish descent would without hesita-
ton take up arms In defense of human
rights in Ireland, just as they did in
defense of down-trodden Belgium,
bleeding France and other victims of
German Militarisnl, should staggering
John Bull try to pull any of his worn
out rough stuff just because the Unit
ed States felt disposed to recognize
the right of Ireland to equal liberty
with the other small nations of the
earth that had been bully-ragged and
oppressed by more powerful countries
until the recent war emancipated
them. The average American, wheth-
er he be native born, or of Irish
<~kIxA
is not the sort to shrink from doing
his duty toward his less fortunate or
less powerful brother just because the
oppressor happens to be a big
bruiser with barroom reputation.
But the point in the News editorial
which / especially wish to take issue
with is the charge that Ireland was.
disloyal and did no do its share to-
ward winning the world war. If the
News editor will take the trouble to
look up the records he will find that
Ireland furnished a much larger pro-
portion Of its eligible manhood to the
army than did the United States, and
that without conscription. You will
probably recall that when England
threatened conscription in Ireland and
Ireland strenuously objected to it a
great howl went up in this country
from the British propagandists and
their sympathizers, but when Austral-
ia, a self-governing dominion of Eng
land. by an overwhelming vote turned
down conscription, you heard scarcely
a peep Rather strange was it not q
And why should Ireland fight Eng
lands battles, pray tell me?
Arthur Griffith, vice president of the
Irish. Republic, recently explained the
Irish question to an Englishman in the
following terms: ''If, in the recent war,
Germany had conquered your country,
had abolished your separate nation and
land, so far as laws could abolish it;
had taken away your separate govern
ment, had reduced you to the status
OF province of the German Empire,
had filled your country with German
soldiers, had bribed the most ignorant
and the meanest section of your pop
ulation to act as spies, had set amongst
you as governors those who forswore
their English nationality, had govern
ed You, not, in your interests, but in
the interests of Germany, would you
have been loyal to the government?
The Englishman said, Certainly not"
He also said to this Englishman,
would you have taught your chill
dren to honor and accept the govern |
ment, or would you have taught your
children to war against it for seven
years or for seventy, or for seven
And he said, "Yes; and for |
a thousand years" well that is the
Irish question" said Griffith.
And now let me ask you, Mr.. Ameri- |
can Citizen, had the British Red Coats
defeated George Washington and his
gallant army, together with the gal |
liant hosts OF Lafayette, who cast
their lot with your forefathers that |
this might be free and independent |
nation, and you had been denied every |
right of self-government, of political |
or religious or commercial freedom, |
would you have enthusiastically vol
unteered to fight John Bulls battles |
for him? Would you have believed |
him when he told the world he was /
taking UP the fight against Germany |
to protect the weak and helpless ma
tions of Europe? Would you?
Why, just the other day, the Honor
able Herbert Asquith, ex-premier of
England, speaking at Birmingham, Bit
terly attacked the government for its /
Irish policy, saying: Back of the
worst days of coercion, unveiled and |
are Liberal premier, a /
Liberal chief secretary, and Liberal |
home secretary. If the Liberal party |
Is going to condone this betrayal of |
traditions, they will deserve the dis
aster which will certainly be. their
DOOM"
1t i'll becomes any American citizen |
to cast slurs at Ireland because she |
refuses to bow her head in |
abject submission to the same tryan-
nical despot who would have made of
America a second Ireland had not the |
legions of liberty in France, in Poland |
and elsewhere come to her rescue in |
her time of ssorest need. The man
who will study the history of ireland |
will become an ardent advocate of |
Irish liberty, or he will prove to the |
world that he is-not himself worthy of |
the blessings of free government.
The man who will sidestep his duty to |
suffering humanity just because a big
clustering bully gets in mis- way is
not cast in a heroic mould, to say the
least.
R. E. POWERS,
Durant, Oklahoma