Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1921-06-18

lands claim upon any particular
form of government that Ireland
has adopted-that man is trying to
hide the real fundamental issue.
Does he admit or does he not that
Ireland has a right to rule herself,
like Belgium or Poland? Pin him
down to that. Don't discuss the
merits of a Republic as against a
Monarchy, or an Empire, or any
other form OF government. The
main thing is to get them to face
what they won't face, namely, the
right of Ireland, like Poland or
Belgium, to rule herself Just as
these countries rule themselves.
In Australia, in America, in
Scotland, or anywhere l have gone
my claim has been and is, that Ire
land has this right, and until it is
granted there will be no peace in
Ireland; there will be no peace be-
tween Ireland and England, and I
hope there will be no genuine
friendship between England and
and anybody who can endeavor by
withholding friendship, to make
England do her duty They will
say, too, that short of Republic
Ireland can get anything she wants
anything at all. That is what
we hear whispered about by those
that are supposed to be in the in
ner circle and are able to explore
evenues that probably are closed to
me. They say, "Give them full Do
minion Home Rule-anything at
all within the Empire" Now I
refer to this simply to say that,
so far as l know, there has been
no clear, firm offer of anything
don't say worth taking, but any
thing worth MISUNDERSTANDING
ly nothing worth considering up to
the present moment.
They talk of Dominion home
rule. Well. Australians know what
Dominion home rule is. They
know. first of all. that in Dominion
home rule we have nothing like
partition. England does not say to
Australia that she should be carved
up according to the sweet will of
the people in Downing street, Lon
don. Australia is unit within the
British Empire and nobody in Eng
land would dare ito say that he
would partition or cut up Australia
into sections. To those people,
therefore, who talk about giving
Dominion home rule we put the
question:: What about the Partition
Act, or are they going to stand by
partition or not? would like a
clear answer to that. would like
TO ask them also when they speak
OF Dominion home rule do they
mean that Ireland would have an
absolute right to make heD own
laws without interference from
outside? When they talk of the
Irish Parliament, do they mean
that it would have exactly the same
the Parliament of Australia has to
legislate for Australia? Perhaps
they mean that, but am not sure
that they do. would like an am
swer to another question also.
Australia has an army and navy of
her own. When they talk of giving
Dominion home rule to Ireland, do
they mean that ireland also is to
have her own army and navy?
/ don't think ireland is very
anxious to rule the seas. am not
sure that she wants to set up big
navy; but the fact is that Australia,
that has no Imperial ambitions
either, has her navy and her army.
The English should go straight
to the only people that can talk
straight to them. There they will
get their answer, whatever it is.
III they are able to agree there Will
be peace soon between the two
countries. but If they are not. then,
deplorable though II may be, the
present struggle, suppose, has to
go on until another opening comes.
But ] am hopeful. and indeed
confident that we are approaching
time when there must be peace,
when the pressure of the whole
world--America and the rest of
the world--wiIl compel the British
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