The Irish standard., 1920-04-17
The United States
Senate and ireland
Continued from page y

tions with equal representation, &C.
corded to all other sovereign and in
dependent governments"
The Shields reservation was shelved
by parliamentary tactics, without hav-
ing been brought to vote.
The second reservation was that In.
troduced by Senator Gerry of Rhode
Island in the late afternoon of March
18th, and which came up for consid-
Grafton early on the morning Of Fri
day, the 18th.
The Gerry reservation read:
I'm consenting to the ratification of
the treaty with Germany the United
States adheres to the principle of self
determination and to the resolution of
sympathy with the aspirations Of the
Irish people for q government of their
own choice adopted by the Senate,
June 6, 1919, and declares that when
self-government is attained by Ire
land, a consummation it is hoped is at
hand, it should promptly be admitted
as q member of the League of Ma
tions."
1t must be borne in mind that the
Gerry reservation embodied two dis
tinct propositions. First was the pro-
posal to have the United States pro.
claim its adherence to the general
principle of self-determination. Second
came the expression of sympathy for
the aspirations of the Irish people and
of hope that Ireland would soon take
its rightful place in the comfy of
nations.
Had the Gerry reservation not COM
mitted the United States to policy OF
UNLIMITED self-determination it
would have obtained the overwhelm-
ing support of the Senate. AS it stood,
however, many Senators objected to
It, They declared that the United
States, in their belief, would be .un-
wise to commit itself to any sweeping
policy of self-determination. 1t was
upon this point that large part Of the
debate hinged. Several attempts were
made to strike out or to modify the
self-determination clause in the Gerry
reservation. .
Senator Lodge tried in vain to have
the self-determination clause changed
so that he could vote for the whole
reservation. He indicated his readi-
ness to vote for self-determination for
the people of Ireland provided the
Senate did not commit itself to apply
the principle in all other cases. He
introduced such an amendment, but it
was voted down by a party alignment
on the opposite side of the chamber.
The, confusion arising from this
two-fold issue in the one reservation
was utilized to party advantage in the
proceedings of the Senate. Matters
became so involved at one stage, that
it seemed that the entire measure
would be defeated.
1t was then that Senator Walsh of
Massachusetts took the floor. He up
braided the Senate for trifling with
great cause; he pleaded for justice to
Ireland and to all the oppressed peo-
pies of the world; he charged that if
any Senator or group of Senators, by
reason of mere parliamentary difficult
ties, contributed to the defeat of
measure in which the whole Senate
and the people of the country were
fully in sympathy, it would be a bad
days work.
1t is generally conceded that it was
Senator Walsh's pleas-he spoke twice
that led the Senate out of the politf-
cal and parliamentary maze into which
it had wandered, and brought final
victory.
So many requests have been re-
ceived by this Bureau for information
about the votes cast, and for explana-
tion of the various issues involved
that the following resume, has been
prepared for convenience.
WILLARD DE LUE.
Washington, March ~, 1920.
TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1920.
The Senate began the day by con.
sidering the so.called Egyptian reser-
walton, offered by Senator OWEN, OF
Oklahoma. Consideration Of this meas
ure brought up the general question
of subject nations, and swung the de-
bate toward the Irish situation.
Senator SHIELDS Of Tennessee, in
speaking in support Of the Egyptian
Reservation brought the Irish issue
squarely before the Senate in STIR
ring appeal for justice for Erin.
ireland has the right to be free and
to govern her own people," he said.
1T has a right to take its place as
free and Independent member of the
family of Nations, and her people will