The Irish standard., 1920-02-28
Britain Ought Not to Get American
Aid While Preventing Fulfillment
of War Purposes.

Why should this nation not recog-
nize the Irish Republic? If it can be
right at a future time, why should it
not be right now? Is right not always
right, or is there a double standard in
morals, as in peace and war-making?
Ii it is morally right for Americans
to recognize the Irish Republic, then
why wait the sanction of the most i'm
moral government in the world? asks
c. G.. Thompson in the Philadelphia
Irish Press.
Was not the Declaration OF Indepen.
dence a thing that was meant to be
taken seriously? We believe in God,
and in the doctrine Of Christ, and we
act in accordance with our beliefs.
We do not make them conditional on
their also being accepted by other ma
tions, do we? No, we do not, and we
should feel insulted were any of them
thing of expediency Ireland should not
be.
America can recognize the Irish Re-
public without war or any threat of
war; because at present neither Eng
land nor any of her allies are in posi-
ton to say her nay, being dependent
on her for their existence. America
could starve Europe, and a starved
Europe would starve England and
overthrow any government England
might set up. England is financially
between the devil and the deep sea.
She is, OF course, trying to bluff her
way out, and may gain her point
eventually as she always does. The
war costs have been too much for her
She thought she knew her Uncle Sam
better. than she did, and thought she
could make him the goat in peace as
we'll as in war. Because, no matter
what some people may say, or think,
the war was from the start England's
war. She tried to make America be-
lieve it was hers, and that Americans
were entitled to bear it's cost. She
pretended to be fighting for world free
dom, while all the time her aim was
British imperial supremacy and COM
mcrrial domination Of the world. No
matter how hard pressed she was at
any ime, she never relaxed for one
minu,a her grip on the small nations
under her CONTROL or made any effort
to set them free. When ncr statesmen
were calling to America for help, say
ing their backs were against the wall
she had her armies scattered over the
Garth, shooting down, among others
ihc people OF Egypt, India and Ireland
while Americans were rushing to the
aid Of England and her friends in
Flanders, England was rushing armies
- Tie ends Of the earth to fight for
imperialism. While Lloyd George was
telling Americans that England could
not spare another man, almost 1OO,-
600 choice English troops were in Ire
land, dragooning the people, bombing
villages from airplanes and preventing
the holding Of fairs and markets.
She spared no expense to win the
war-t the treasury of this country was
open to her after, If not also before,
April 2, l9l7-and money was burned
up at the rate of about $4,000 900 a
day. She burned it up believing she
could later on burn up all the papers
in the case. But in this she has not
isucceeded, and therein lies the tale Of
her present predicament. Together
with her allies, she owes this country
over $4,000, 100000, and cannot con.
| ceive of way to repay, not even the
interest. Her credit is gone, her gold
supply exhausted and she now wants
more credit, but cannot get it. Her
emissary, Sir George Paish, has re-
ported failure: He was sent here to
sound the country on new loan Of
s35 ,000, 100000, but found the doors of
the former treasure house closed.
There is no way now for her to get
money other than by the manufacture
and export Of goods, and even here it
is rough sailing for many reasons.
Were she in position to manufacture
and export goods in large quantities,
no country save America is in a posi-
ton to pay for them, and here she is
faced with formidable import tariff
The countries most in need of her
goods have no money to pay for them,
and America, who can pay for them,
has the least need of them. The value
of her money in this country has
dropped 80 per cent; the pound that
formerly was worth $4.S6 is now worth
| only $40. It is almost impossible to
do business under such handicap as
the exchange situation now presents.