The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-22
DEVALERA PRESENTS CLAIMS OF THE IRISH
 REPUBLIC" BEFORE
 CAPACITY AUDIENCE
Continued from Page Five)

not asking you to say 'hands off to England We are only asking that you believe in us and our cause. That you will help us instead of giving us a cold shoulder. Because some Of these days Ireland is going to be as big republic as the United States Behind that republic will be men who have the same kind of ideas that gov ern this country today
 "The republic of Ireland has a right to ask the people of the United States for their help. Every time in the last 100 years that the American flag has been in danger, true sons of old Ire land have been the first to defend it.. Irish blood has flowed in every bat tie that the United States ever fought. Today should the flag of this country be endangered, every man in Ireland would be ready to fight. and die for it, proud that he had the chance
 THROWN INTO PRISON
 T ask you, can you stand by and see nation of people who are longing for freedom and liberty slowly being clushed under an iron heel. Tn the last seventy-five years every man that tried to lead the people of Ireland
 has been thrown in prison. Every
 newspaper that dared to print the
 truth has been closed Today the
 people in Ireland dare not hold a pub
 lie meeting. Hundreds are being
 thrown into prison daily. During the
 month of January 1920. more than
 l,9o5 people were deported from the
 shores of Ireland. Seventy five years
 ago the population of Ireland was S,o0OOOO people. Today in. Ireland there are less than 100000 people That itself tells why Ireland is fight ing for it's freedom
 We shall win, we shall win,' continued for nation on earth still in the bonds of po-
 iitlcal slavery. We shall win. even though we have to wait for the downfall or Britain for our freedom For as As-
 syria died in the past. as Rome died, and as other nations died Britain will
 die, and that soon.
 When the war broke out Irish citizens
 volunteered for service in the British army because England promised that she
 was fighting for the rights of small na- tions, and it was by winning the war that
 Ireland boped to win her freedom. We threw ourselves upon a nation which has never been generous. And when the war
 was over she forgot. Her promises 10
 Ireland were scraps Of paper. Ireland was squeezed lemon and cast aside
 Tt it your privilege, 1t is your right
 and 1t is your duty to say what side oi
 this question you are on. Whether you | Seolu Willi LIe imperial autOt-
 racy, or stand for the freedom of lre- land"
 "AYES AND NOS"
 At the close of the speech a resou- tion was read, urging that the president give weight to the acton taken by con gress in recognizing the Irish republic and asking that no more loans be ad . vanced to England since she is main taining large armies in Ireland. Waves of ayes and noes blanded together when the vote was called, bu, the ayes were in majority.
 MT. De Valera arrived at the terminal last night about 8 o'clock To greet him there was a committee of welcome com posed of five people, also a squad of eight policemen accorded him by the city for his protection. The rest of the crowd was composed of taxi drivers, a handful of people that had gotten off the incoming train and the general at taches of the depot
 pie at the station that knew that De- Valera was here. The eight policemen had little to do The small crowd was orderly. Most of them went about their business after a glance to see what
 the little furry of excitement was about. Tremendous crowds attempted to secure seats in the Jefferson theatre for more than an hour before the time scheduled for the address of DeVa- iera. loud and prolonged ovation greeted the rising of the curtain. Seated or the stage 'were few sol- liers in uniform each with the mark of the rainbow division on his arm, several sailors and four Confederate veterans.
 Major. Michael Kelly, formerly of the 165th infantry. Rainbow division, afL
 "It is hard to be al American thesa days" declared Major Kelly. When q man stands up in this country to rlead the cause of liberty, he is branded as un-American."
 1 Major Kelly said that more than | .f0 former American soldiers had de- ciared against the action of the Amer | ican Legion in scoring the visit of 1 Eamon De Valera.
 q venture to say that If the ques- ton of Ireland's freedom was left with the American Legion, Ireland would be free tonight," said the speaker
 l< Major Kelly then read the speeches l cf Judge Horace Wilkinson at the rnass meeting Tuesday night to pro- i test the visit of Dev alera to Bir- l a,ingham. The speech was greeted N ith cries and ieers. Everyone knows that the purpose of the mass meeting 1 was to incite trouble against the visit | of Deyalers, and tha; it was turned | into recruiting drive for some cluk i saiS the major.
 I "I defy Judge Wilkinson or any ether American to froye that any 1 frishman has been cisloyai to the I United States"
 | The second speaker was pr. J. H. I.win, a Presbyterian minister of Ire- | land.
 1 q am here today as standing | refutation of the lie hat this is re- l lieious question" he said.
 1 ''The people of this country have i been given the idea that there are ] two factions in Ireland. ready to fly
 oa nfher.s thrsraf hnf for fhe