The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-03-14
IRISH FREEDOM
TOPIC At MEET
HERE YESTERDAY
Joseph Rylands. National Organizer
Of Irish Association Talks to
100 sympathIxers at
Court House

Charging that British Interference
in American economic affairs and
British restriction OF American for.
eign trade has aroused the business
men Of the United States to take an
interest In securing the recognition
OF the Irish Republic, Joseph Ry-
lands, national organizer of the
American Association for Recogni-
tion Of the Irish Republic. addressed
gathering of Chickasha citizens at
the Court House Sunday afternoon.
In spite of the inelement weather
about 100 advocates of Irish inde.
pendence turned out to hear the
speaker talk on Americas right and
duty to recognize the Irish Repub-
lie" Mr. Rylands began his talk by
informing the audience that he
would treat the matter as an Ameri-
can proposition and as an American
citizen. He told of enlistlng in the
army shortly after the war was do.
clared and challenged the editor OF
one Of Oklahoma's large dailies to
compare loyalty to the United States
government with the great body of
soldiers of Irish descent who fought
in the great war.
America has both a duty and a
right to recognize any de facto' and
de jure' government" said Mr. Ry.
lands, particularly when that gov
ernment is striving for the same lib
erty for which our forefathers
fought. The Republic Of Ireland is
both de facto' and de jure' because
they are in possession of most OF the
land in the island and their civil
courts are functioning. England's civil
courts have been abandoned"
THAT government is de jure
government continued the speaker,
whose regularly constituted au-
thority derives its power from the
consent of the governed. The cleo
tion in Ireland in 1918 showed that
81 per cent of the people voted in
favor of the Republican form of gov
ernment and this should prove con.
clusively that the Republic of Ire
land is the only de jure' government
that has any shadow of justification
in claiming to be de jure'.'
Going into the question of Ameri-
cas- duty to recognize Ireland, Mr..
Rylands showed that both Washing
ton and Franklin promised to take
immediate measures to secure their
freedom.
In 1888, Franklin writing to the
good people of Ireland said, i am
charged to assure you that means
will be found to secure your freedom
in the fullest and amplest manner
That leaves the duty of following out
Franklin's promise on this genera
ton. But it is not necessary to go
back that far to find our duty. We
entered the last war embued by the
ideals of President Wilson that self
determination would be accorded to
all small nations. We fought and
won the war and did accord the
right of self determination to all
small nations including Czecho-Slo-
vakia, Poland and Jugo-Slavia, but
why are we Withholding this right
from Ireland. Is it because we are
afraid of Great Britain."
The meeting was called to order
by DR.. Edward Carr, local optician,
who talked on Britain's method of
disseminating propaganda hostile to
Irish freedom. John R. Sullivan OF
Ell Reno also spoke on Ireland's con
tribution to the cause of liberty all
over the world. All three speakers
were enthusiastically applauded and
Miss Kathleen Mahoney reported
the receipt of rs pledges to urge
support of legislation tending to rec
ognize Ireland.