New-York tribune., 1921-03-01
Ireland's Case
Father Dufy's Comments on tn,
Lecture of Sir Philip Gibbs


To the Editor of Tho Tribune.
Sir: I came away from Sir Philip
Gibbs's lecture on Ireland wondering
whether it embodied the whole message
of British Liberalism to the American
people on this question. 1t may be that
in the distraction caused by frequent
Interruptions Sir Philip did not state
his full message.
The lecturer set himself large sub
ject when he chose to talk on Ireland's
past, present and future. To fill bill
like that a speaker must be historian,
statesman and prophet. In his dcscrip-
tion Of 1relands distressful past Sir
Philip moved down the pages Of his
tory as VIC saw him moving across
the fields Of war-grave, tender, pitt
full, fair minded, indignant at wrong
doing and cruelty
AS for the future, Sir Philip made
practically no attempt to don the man
tie of the prophet 1t is difficult to
prophesy in human affairs; and when
those human affairs are Irish the task
does not become easier. But it was the
statesman part of his job that disap-
pointed me. In the first place, missed
hearing even an aliusion to the great
principles Of liberalism on which for
ward-looking people like Sir Philip
Gibbs and myself want human govern
ment to be conducted. Not a word
about consent Of the governed, or the
rule Of majorities, or the rights of
small nations, or of the two plebiscites
by which the Irish proclaimed them
selves free men; nor a discussion of
lreland's claim to be nation
Until we can get some common
ground on such ideas Englshmen are
not using in argument language that
the Irish understand. Their attitude
toward Ireland seems to be about the
same as it would be if Kent and Mid
dleseX were in revolt, as in the days of
Jack Cade. ireland is not Lancashire.
Ireland IS Poland, Belgium, an Ar
menia. And there is no denying the
fact that after 700 years of occupation
foreign government maintains itself in
that island onl' by annulIing the rights
of frccmen and ruling by military force.
Nor has Sir Philip Gibbs any fea-
siblc plan to suggest as a substitute for
the Irish demands. l came away with
tho impression that in the last portion
of his speech the lecturer had been
creating q feeling, whether intention
ally or not, that the prcsent-day Irish
are perfectly unreasonable in wanting
what they cannot get and in not being
satlshed with some unknown thing that
the English are willing to give them.
| am still in a puzzle as to what the
lecturer had i'll mind. Evidently not
the present Home Rule bill, for he him
self tossed that lightly aside He spoke
in general way about dominion home
rule, and some Of his audience thought
though he certainly could not have
meant to convey the idca-that domin-
ion home rule was a project actually
placed before the representatives of the
irish people, to accept or reject as
they pleased. Who is going to give it
to them? Lloyd Georges government ?
The House of Lords? If all English
men were like Sir Philip Gibbs the
Irish could have confidence in any offer
made to them. But if all Englishmen
were like Sir Philip Gibbs there would
be no Irish problem.
The thing that has brought matters
in Ireland to the present pass is that
the Irish have no confidence in anv
British government or party. The
moderates in Irish political life feel
that If they fool around the bait of
dominion home rule the British will
use it to divide Irish opinion and make
use of the division thus created in the
irish ranks to give them nothing at all.
That may sound terribly cynical, but it
is the lesson of Irish history. Per-
sonally, | want to see a republic set up
IN Ireland. But I recognize that as
an Irish affair, and if majority of the
people decided on the dominion form
of government under the British crown
they should meet with no opposition
from me. But if l were a believer in
dominion home rule should consider
1t very bad tactics to minimize the
strength of the Irish position by advo
eating it until it was passed by the
Parliament, signed by the King and
set in operation in Ireland.
The worst indictment of British rule
in Ireland is the enforced silence Of
Englishmen in answer to the query:
Can you cite a single instance where
the Irish got anything out of England
by being "good"?
FRANCIS P. DUFFY.
New York. Feb. 2s. 1921.