The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-23
Freedom m Ireland

the British constitution this right is en- ioyed.
 f. The Irish farmer has been treated more generously by the British govern nient than has been the case in any other country in the world. To solve the land question, the government has advanced the huge sum of s7500Q0,o0O to enable the farmers to purchase their land, the farn- CT making his payments over a long pe-
 riod of years and at a yearly purchase rrice of about 50 per cent of the previous annual rent And this IS oppressi ,nr %Oh.
 judgment, thou art fled to brutfsh beast, -and men have lost their reason" Under
 this system 75 per cent of the men who
 till the soil own the land. Can Ala
 banaa boast as much2
 g. Under British rule in Ireland a larger degree of social justice obtains than in any other country in the enl- pire, with the exception of perhaps Aus tralia and New Zealand. Industrial in surance, old age pensions decent homes for laborers have been provided. This looks like grinding oppression, doesn it2
 6 During the war Ireland was exempted from war legislation. Conscription was not applied to Ireland partly because the Sim Fein element was pro-German and antf-Ally. Sir. Roger Easement rep resented the Stnn Feiners at the Kaiser court and later landed from German
 submarine on the Irish coast. While
 England gave T per cent of her man
 power to the fighting forces, Ireland contributed a. i1neager IA per cent. Ine
 Ulster counties in the north was the only section which gave fair propors ton of fighting men to the army Wnhe freenen were dying on land and sea, the Sim Feihers played football, or gave ald
 and comfort to the enemy.
 !. The British government has done its
 best to bring about a solution of ths
 Irish question Two years age, the Brlt- ish prime minister called a convention of Irishmen from all parties to meet ana endeavor to work out a. satisfactory basis for a government of and for and bv the Irish people. These are ms words: Would it be too much to hope that Irishnnen of all creeds and parties might meet together in convention TOT the purpose of drafting a constitution TOT | just balance of all opposing interests The convention was held, but proved a failure. Someone suggested that the ldelegates be locked in hall and ths survivors allowed to write the constitu- Ition. When the Irish can't agree anlong themselves, why should England pc blamed?
 Ireland Is perhaps the most pros porous country in Europe today Speak- ing in Dublin on July 1, 1915. MT Jonp l Redmond said: Today the peepis broadly speaking. own the soil. Toaay | tie laborers live in decent hahitations Today there is absolute freedom in iosal government and local taxation of tne country. Today we have the widest par llfameptary and muncipial franchise Tns lfarnas have been enlarged, decent dwell | ings have been provided. and a new spirif
 of hope and independence is today anon ithe people. In towns legislation has been passed facilitating the housing Q :, the working classes-a piece of legista
 tion far in advance of anything obtainee | for the town tenants If England w lhave a system of old-age pensions whereby every old main and old woman over 10 is safe from the workhouse ant free to spend their last days in corfapara 1 tive comforts These are the words c one of sreIahdtss greatest leaders ant lpatriots. If Redmond told the truth thei lDevalera's S statements are false.
 ! The sinns Fein propaganda in Amerie' t is base islander of the British peopt
 and of a large part of the Irish race, in