The Washington times., 1920-01-08
10000 Here Cheer De Valera
As He Pleads Erin's Right to
Recognition by United States
Liberty Hut Crowded and 5000 Outside Greet
President of Irish Republic Resolutions
Endorse Mason Bill and Oppose
Loans to Great Britain.

"Ths Spirit OF ITO" and The
Spirit OF Ireland" lived at Liberty
Hut last night when Eamon De VAL
era. President OF the Irish Republic.
was acclaimed by thousands In the
most wildly enthusiasts reception
ever held In Washington In the In
terest OF Irish freedom.
IL was a long to be remembered
night for the sons OF Erin. The hero
of their cause stood before them, and
he was given an ovation which rang
true to the Irish spirit Unsmiling
and seemingly invincible, with traces
OF burdening care and with
burning fervor, President De Valera
expounded Ireiand's claim to liberty
in the battle for which he has spent
much OF the last four years In Brit
ish prisons.
Ireland must and win live as free
people was the message OF De Valera
The yoke OF England must be thrown
off and the principles of right and
justice prevail-the principles for
which the world war was fought-he
declared.
5000 In Crowd Outside.
The 5000 people who packed the
hut and an equally large number who
shuffled about outside for vantage
point cheered and cheered again ev-
cry word from De Valera. A meeting
place with a name other than Liberty
Hut would not have been In keeping
with the spirit and purpose OF the
evening.
There was almost constant applause
as President De Valera pleaded Ire
lands cause from a stage decked with
American flags and the orange. the
white and the green. emblem OF the
Irish republic. Among those In at
tendance were fully two score Con-
gressmen and Government officials
who sat on the stage. With them
were more than a dozen Protestant
Friends of Irish Freedom to refute
the charge that Erin's fight is re-
ligious one. Two of their number. an
Episcopal Clergyman and a past pres-
ident of the Order of Orangemen,
were among the speakers.
At the outset President De Valera
declared he disdained rhetorical and
oratorical arts: but as he proceeded
to build up his case for Ireland with
mathematical precision any oratori-
cal deficiency was more than out
weighed by his earnestness and force.
He began his address with Few
words in Gaelic to show. as he said,
that England has failed to kill our
ancient language as utterly as she
has failed to blot out our nationality
Gives Reasons For Recoxnition..
President De Valera declared that
his "primary object in the United
states is to obtain official recognition
| for the elected. government OF the
Republic Of Ireland" 1relands moral
claim for Recognition rests. he sald,
! on these foundations:
"1-That the people OF every nation
are entitled fundamentally to the
right of choosing for themselves the
form of government their nation
shall have--on the basis that gov
ernments derive all their just powers
from the consent of the governed.
"2-That Ireland is a nation. and
as such that her people have a right
| to determine for themselves no" lhey
shall be governed.
"3-That the Irish people have, In
fact, determined how they shall be
governed and have declared their Will
in an unmistakable manner. BY
their suffrages they have established
an independent republic and chosen
as their government this government
on whose behalf, as its chief execu-
tive, I am here claiming formal and
official recognition.
"Solidly based, as our claim Is, Or
| these thdt
are so universally accepted as to be
axioms, and on pacts which can be
so proven that there is no denying
them-we have a right to expect that
those who would reject our claim
should at least give some good reason
| for doing so.
Really, we ought not be asked at
all to prove that Ireland is entitled
| to it's independence, or that the Irish
people are entitled to self-determina-
| tion-and that is our whole claim-it
| should rather be for those who deny
us our liberty to show why that lib
erty should be denied.
What Grounds for DeniaIf
why should 1 have to prove any
| where where the elements of de-
mocracy are understood that the con-
sent of the people governed is the
one legitimate basis on which the
| poyernment of any nation can be