The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-12-29

OF me Tor the Irish people alters this
FEELING. Ireland claims what. in my
opinion, she Is legitimateIy entitled
to clam, the right to control and
manage her own affairs.
les, one must in all fairness adj
INIT tnat hatred of British rule is
well FOUNDED. Much of the prevailing
discomfort in Ireland Is unique stio7-
ably que to the methods Of tie pres
ent administration, apart from the
wider CLAIMS of the Irish people to
the control of their own affairs. No.
seH-respecting and spirited people
could submit to the tyranny Of Dub
lin Castle rule. 1t is as brutal as it
Is stupid and as provocative as it is
unintelligent.
1T is quite true that acts of vio-
lence are deplorably frequent, and
no man can condone murder by
whomsoever committed, but it must
be stated that on the popular side
there mas been nothing done within
measurable reach of the wanton,
reckless, indiscriminate murders and
outrage of innocent and unoffending
people, as that charged against the
forces which are supposed to be in
Ireland In the interests of law and
order. Moreover, the shooting of po-
licemen did not precede but was the
outcome of the Governments policy
of rigorous repression, and, unfortu-
nately, political outrages are always
produced by political corruptions,
such as those which exist in Ireland.
During a prolonged visit to Ire
land Immediately prior to my leav-
ing England, | took the opportunity
OF Intervening persons representing
all phases of religious and political
opinion. Several, who were strongly
opposed to the Sim Fein movement,
thought that its leaders should pub
licly dlsassociate themselves from
acts Of murder, but no one even hint
ed that the Sim Fein movement as
such was either directly or indirectly
responsible for the policy of assassi-
nation.
There is not the slightest reason
for believing, as many Protestants in
Canada do, that the underlying issue
is a desire on the part of the Roman
Catholics to dominate and control the
Protestant minority. Outside Belfast
there is no religious feud at all, and
there it is fostered by political and
vested interests for Interior motives.
1t is the old policy of "divide and
conquer. Many Of the foremost
leaders in the Sim Fein and Nation
alist movements are Professionals. In
districts that are overwhelmingly
Catholic found Protestants holding
positions of Importance. / have not
heard of single case where Protes-
tants have been maltreated in Catho-
lie centers, but there are hundreds of
cases on record where unoffending
Catholics have been assaulted, their
homes wrecked and their lives en-
dangered by Protestant mobs melted
by base minded politicians. The very
demand to treat Protestant Ulster as
a separate entity reveals the hallow-
ness of the Rome Rule" cry. Pro-
testanism in Ulster is we'll able to
look after itself, yet it's demand for
partition involves the handing over
of small Protestant minorities all
over Ireland to Catholic rule. If
are such tyrants as is alleg-
ed, this description of them indicates
craven cowardice. The fact is "Rome
Rule is DOGGY and nothing more.
speak as Protestant who knows
Ireland we'll
mo one can give any satisfactory
reason for partition. Partition vio-
lates national idealism, which is the
vital force in the demand for self
government. Ii makes no provision
for minority interests outside the ex-
cluded area. Partition would leave a
minority in Ulster itself
In Belfast itself one fourth of the
population is Nationalist and Catho-
lie.
Twill Ireland win through, Ulti-
yes. No power on earth can
ever crush the aspirations of brave
people struggling for liberty. The
end of the journey may not be in
sight, but having marched through
the wilderness for seven centuries,
she is not likely to give up in despair
because Lloyd George and Carson
block the path. 1t Is true that the
vast majority Of the Irish people
have grown weary of moderate men,
who brought home neither victory,
nor the promise of victory, and that
some of her sons in their passion and
despair are now in open revolt, but
while do not believe that force
produces any real remedy for the
present situation, would prefer to
be on the side of those who revolt
than on the side of those who inffict
upon Ireland a brutal tyranny"