New-York tribune., 1920-11-17
Irish Facts
Anspcrs 10 the Questions Of Courtc-


Sir: AS an American, who may be
prejudiced through an inherited love of
liberty, l find your editorial Of Novem-
Der 9. captioned destroying Ireland"
too indefinite and too general to permit
acceptance Of your views without seek
ing further enlightenment. Will you
kindly answer the following questions
in good faith, as by so doing you will
favor thousands Of your readers who
are in the same position as myself:
l. What is your authority for the
statement, "The Sim Fsin began the
treacherous war;? Since the policy Of
the British government seems to be to
terrify the populace by so-called re-
prisals instead of apprchending and es-
tablishing the identity of the guilty
parties, how can you justly attach re-
sponsibility to the Sim Fein?
2. What are the specific acts that
marked the beginning Of the treacher-
Gus war to which you allude?
g. You refer to assassination as the
national industry of Ireland. I find
that during the last four years fewer
than 200 soldiers and policemen have
been killed in Ireland, while in New
York City more than 200 civilians have
been murdered during the present CAL
endar year. Since it would be consid-
cred reprehensible for foreign editor
to state that murder is the principal
industry Of the residents Of our metrop-
oils, is it not equally Objectionable for
an American editor to mako a similar
charge against the people Of Ireland?
4. If England would withdraw from
Ireland its army of occupation there
would be no further killing Of British
soldiers and no reprisals. Ireland would
then be free to enjoy liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. What is your OBJ
lection to this solution Of the Irish
question?
5. In your opinion, who has the
moral right to decide how Ireland shall
be governed ed-Lloyd George, American
editors or the majority of the people
of Ireland themselves?
6. have read no condemnation on
your editorial pages of the "reprisals,"
/ wherein the innocent are made to suffer
instead of the guilty, thus pervertng
the laws of civilization. | would not in
suit you by asking if your silence is
to be construed as approval, but
would be interested to know how you
coordinate the extending of your ed
itorial aid to the empire of Great Brit
ain in her effort to crush the Irish re-
public with your advocacy of the prin
ciples that are the basis OF true Amer
icanism. N. QUIRER.
Paterson, N. j., Nov. IS, 1920.
RI. According to undenied figures,
hundred or more policemen in
Ireland were murdered and nearly
one thousand attacks occurred before
they began reprisals. 1t is not open
to doubt that the Sim Fein began
the guerilla warfare.
g. Answered in the foregoing.
8. The Tribune did not say that
murder has become the national in
dustry of Ireland. 1t merely said
that if it did not stop there could be
rot be happiness in Ireland.
4. Should England withdraw from
Ireland, doubtless the killing of Brit
ish soldiers would cease, but what
assurance would there be that the
Sim Feiners would not then turn on
those in Ireland who did not accept
their views? While in this country
Mrs. Sheehy- y-Skeffington proclaimed
that those who disagreed with her
should be driven out-given a ticket
with no return privileges.
5. The political relations of Ire
land and England are not for Amer
lean editors to decide, any more than
it was the business of British editors
to decide in 1861 the relations Of
South Carolina to the Federal
Union. The principle of self-deter-
mination is a sound one, but in all
times its complete application has
depended on circumstances. Any one
who understands why our people
were not willing to have a presunp-
lively hostile power established
south of the Potomac should be able
to understand why Great Britain
will not consent to the establishment
of hostile power on the other side
of narrow strip of water.
6. To us the police reprisals,
while natural, are lndefensible. They
not only confound the innocent
and the guilty, but they break down
discipline among the guardians of
order. The civilized may seldom
wisely retort in kind against the un-
civilized, no matter what the irrita-
tion. The British government has
recognized this, and has most en-
phatically condemned reprisals and
sought to prevent them.-Ed.1