The Washington times., 1920-01-08

~@a-......asA1s
no moral title to existence what
ever
80 Coercion Acts Passed.
'Eighty-six coercion acts, that
practically deprived the Irish people
of all civil liberty, show how Eng
land maintained this Union during
the first eighty-seven years OF Its ex-
istence. A further coercion act,
passed in the eighty-seventh year of
it's existence, made perpetual and In
active existence at the moment, Civ
ing to the British government in Ire
land powers over the individual
Irishman and Irishwoman In excess
OF those 1t possessed In virtue of the
wartime regulations, substituting
the arbitrary rule OF Britain's mill
tary for constituted civil authority
and depriving the individual Irish
citizen of all the safeguards to indi-
yidual rights common obtaining
among civilized people-shows how
England maintains her so-called
Union today and how she has main
tanned 1t for the past thirty-two
years.
Secession indeed! Divorce in
deed. 1t would be about as just to
hurl these epithcts at woman who
was struggling to win her freedom
from a brigand who had carried her
Off and who was keeping her by force,
as to hurl them at Ireland in her
struggle for freedom from Britain"
Patriotic Songs sung.
The meeting was opened with the
singing of .'The Star-Spanglcd Ban
ner," led by Mrs. Edna Hillyard How
ard, and closed with America" Miss
Agnes whalen, also sang "The Wear
ing of the Green"
Gen. Isaac r. Sherwood, OF the
Loyal Legion. veteran Of the civil
war, and a member of the House from
Ohio, presided. He was introduced
by Rosa +. Downing, president OF the
Friends of Irish Freedom, under the
auspices of which the meeting was
held, as "a man without a drop OF
Irish blood in his veins" ..,.-.
General Sherwood hailed President
De Valera as "the greatest moral
hero round the world"
Protestant Divine Speaks.
The Rev. James Grattan Mythen, OF
Christ Episcopal Church. Norfolk,
Va, who began his career in the min
istry at st. Johns Church. George
town, emphatically denied that only
Catholics in Ireland were behind that
country's hght for freedom. While
recruiting for the navy, which he
joined at the outbreak of the war,
DR.. Mythen declared he told young
men that the war would free Ireland
and other small nations.
He said Fuel Commissioner Garfield.
| an intimate friend of President Will
son, heard him make this declaration
| and told him he had echoed the senti-
mentsof the President,
Nobody in Gods world is going to
| deprive us of the fruits of our vic
| tory" he declared. "They will have
| TO make good on the last war, or the
| men who volunteered will not answer
p! the call to arms again"
Declaring that the root OF the quar-
| rel between Ireland and England lies
in imperialism, Lindsay Crawford,
| former fisherman, now editor of the
Toronto Statesman and past president
of the Order of Orangemen. said an
| empire and q nation cannot exist side
by side.
Resolutions Adopted.
At the conclusion OF the meeting
the following resolution, offered by
Rosa +. Downing. was unanimously
adopted by the audience:
Whereas the principle OF national
| self-determination was one of the ex-
piicit objects for which the United
| States entered the war; and
Whereas Britain is spending annu-
| ally at the rate of $50 900, 900 on her
army OF occupation in Ireland alone.
not to speak of the vast sums she is
spending on similar armies in India
and Egypt;
BE it resolved. we recognize that
principle as applying to ireland and
| that we urge upon the United States
Government the propriety OF officially
recognizing the republic, which the
| people of Ireland have, by an act Of
national self-determination. set up.
| And that we urge especially the mem
bors Of the House of Representatives
I to pass the Mason bill. providing for
diplomatic and consular corps In
| ireland; and
"Be IL further resolved. that we
urge upon our. Government TO refuse
to grant any further loans or
| financial accommodations to Britain
whilst the moneys obtained are be-
ing misused to strsngle nations
rightly struggling to be free"
Crowd at Union station.
Whom President De Valera stepped
from the train at Union Station at
1880 D. m. he was met by committee
headed by Jeremiah o'connor and
| escorted to "a waiting automobile
| through a lane OF cheering people.
| President De Valera IL staying at