The Pensacola journal., 1920-03-06
PLUNKE1T HITS
HOME RULE ACT
Tells Irish Dominion League
America Does Not Want to
See Ireland Independent
ENDANGER ENGLAND
British Government Must Treat
All Sections Equal, Famous
Statesman Declares.

Dublin, Mar. 5.-Sharp criticism of
the new Irish home rule bill was ex-
pressed by Sir Horace Plunkett chair
man of the Dublin convention at a
welcome home dinner'' given in his
honor here last night by the Irish Do
minlon League. He has just returned
from the United States and gave his
impressions of the American attitude
toward Ireland.
How far Germany timed Armaeed-
don with an eye on Ulster, he said,
let historians say. But it is a mat
ter of personal knowledge that from
1911 the Prussian government was
organizing German Irisf1S al alliar1ess in
American politics with a view to the
coming attack upon the worlds free
DOM
Il have not the least doubt that
supposing the Irish trouble had moth
ing to do with the beginning of the
war. II was an important factor in de-
laying Americas decisive participa-
tion in the struggle. To the same was
due great deal of political embar-
lS1ooiilCIll 10 tile WdT administration
Washington.
Il remember the question being ac-
tually raised whether the American
navy could wisely utnIize Ireland as
it's base of operations. Though hap
PLY strategic considerations overruled
political objections, only the splendid
loyalty to America of Irish Americans
counteracted the deep resentment
caused, by contrasts all too easily
drawn between the treatment of the
northeast corner and the rest of our
country in conflicts with the British
government.
Notwithstanding governmental con-
troll of news which was unprecedented
in the history of the British people
in which to their honor let it be said
they had hitherto set a shining ex-
ample to the world respecting freedom
of opinion, Ireland has become in
creasingly during the last decade the
final proof to every enemy of England
and America that British aims in war
and peace are more hypocricies where
they profess to have any regard what
soever for the liberty of small ma
tionalities.
NOW and again some prominent
politician wins cheers by telling Amer
ing about her negro question. If we
had as many negroes in this country
as the Americans have Irish in theirs
and these people possessed the fran
chise here, we should be no more
silent about that problem than the
Americans are about Ireland. 1 agree
that it is undesirable for any alien
legislation body or official representa-
tives OF an alien government to in
dulge in official utterances or actions
| of such nature, but what these people
or bodies rightly or wrongly may saw
| or do of infinitesimally small impor-
tance compared with what the people
in the mass think.
| Tn America 1 found more bitter
anti English feeling than all my forty
years of observation. As usual. al
though due to many other causes, it
was tangled up with the Irish trou-
| bic, and was generally expressed in
what | may call Irish terms. Amer
leans do not bother themselves with
details. They want Ireland to have
as large a measure Of self government
as is consistent with the safety OF the
British empire, for which they in
calner moments recognize they are
almost as much concerned as are the
British They wish TO give the mi
noTlty, particularly Ulster, ample Sc
curity from any possible, even If i'm
probable, oppression by the majority
OF the Catholic-Irish people who diff
fer from Ulster in economic outlook.
In my judgement America does not
want Ireland 10 be an independent
republic, but until the British gov
,ernment ceases to break its promises
TO Ireland the sentiment of America
win be that the Irish people are justi-
fled in asking anything they like