The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-06-16
Will Let Irish
 Settle Question
James E. Murray New A. A. R. l. R., Issues Statement.

received from James E. Murray. who
 was elected president of the assocta-
 the first official statement concerning
 the attitude of the organization which
 he heads towards recent develop
 ments in Ireland:
 | From MT. NIurray's statement it appears that the association proposes | for the present to let the Irish people I'sett1e the question themselves. He thinks there is only a trivial differ l ence between the Griffith and DeVa- | iera adherentS and that they will | compose this difference at the com-
 ing election. He decries what he 1 terms British interference and what | amounts to instigation of crime in Ul- 1 sIer on the part of the British agents. 1 During the two months which Mir ! Murray spent in the East he visited | Detroit and New York, besides mak- | Ing quite a stay in Washington and | several other cities. He was accom-
 panied by Mrs Murray.
 Speaking of the Irish situation. MT. | Murray said:
 .'The American Association for the | Recognition of the Irish Republic. i following the announcement of the London treaty, which has since been the subject of such serious debate in | Ireland, has remained more or less | inactive up to the present time await ing the elections which were to. be held this month. There appeared ts be a sentiment that, as American~ we should take no action which might in any way be considered an inter ference in the issue to be submitted has become more evident every day, however, that the British ministry has not been sincere in it's boasted desire to give to the Irish people a m cas- ure of freedom. The British foreign office has taken advantage of the st. nation to sow discOrd among the peo- pie religious and otherwise and pre- vent a free and honest election un- der the treaty.
 ''An the Information received on this side comes through English chan fort has been made to d1scredtt Ire- land in the eyes of America. A ty- pical instance of the unfairness with which Irish affairs are. presented to In which the British correspondents treated the discussions which led to the agreement of May 20 between De- Valera and Collins, regarding the e1ec- month. For weeks prior to this agreement the correspondent rega1ed up from day to day with dismal fore bodings regarding the alleged differ ences between these leaders and open ly predicted civil war. Deliberately false statements were issued regard ing alleged clashes between so-called factions In Ireland. Facts were that everything was proceeding satisfac- torily to the British ministry until Collins and De Valera got together
 
 the Iria> elections were. to be held. It wae this agreement which precipi- tated the crisis in Irish affairs.
 'In due course the Collins-DeVa- Craig of Ulster and the colonial sec retary, Winston Churchill. Irnme- diate1y following military activities in of fsh people TR been e0,1' eoy fandamen9a S rhG % deTences sTe es among the Irish people. They are six counties in Ulster, that there should be 8 united and independent Ireland. and differ only as to the method or means to be employed in tending that the voice of the nation could not be fairly expressed except through a free election of the entire Griffith and Collins, who were acting under pressure of the British cabinet were contendfng that time would not permit the preparation of a new cleo concededIy disfranchtse hundreds of thousands of the young men and to place every safeguard possible ngainst future differences in the work of gaining complete and lasting tndependence for Ireland, Through this agreement Ireland takes another great step on the road to freedom. She is alive to the pitfalls and dan gers of British Brit diRloma,io l r. maneg- In people feel as did Washington and his followers in 1776, that England can not be trusted and they do not want to see the victory which was won by Irish arms lost in diplomatic trickery.
 "As matter of fact the great majority of the Irish people are now
 L.,f1fr rySr +t,aL h ,1re the door to freedom for all time, be cause by 1t Ireland would go volun- tariiy into the. British empire as mere industrial development would be necessarily circumscribed limited and controlled by Great Britain. Collins end Griffith are admittedly inspired more by fear and threats of duress than by sincere convictions freely ar rived at It is obvious that no na- tfon can come to a real decision un- der such circumstances. The senti-
 nent of the people of the United States, if they are true to American
 ideals, should be in favor of Ire- lands deciding this question by a vote of all the people, uninfluenced and unrestrained by any threat of renew ed war of extermination.
 fDespite the exaggerated reports, there has, in fact, been little serious serious disturbances have been those in Ulster, where fanatics financed by British capital and acting under the direction and assistance of British agents. have robb ed. slain, pilaged and outraged men, women and chi1- dren. The terrible Weaver street bombing. to which men in uniform were accessories, and which cost the lives of four children and resulted in fne maining of 16 others, was plain " a case Of premediated murder. The slaughter of six members of the MrAfahons, peaceafbIe tradesmen. and the more recent slayings in Ulster, are clear indications that these po- groms are deliberate and we'll organ ized- It is frequently asserted that agents of the British government are acting in collision with these Ulster fanatics and have. indeed, been the chief instigators of their criminal atrocities. Without doubt there is a responsibility for all these murders, burnings. and disorders in Ireland. The movement to terrorize the coun-