Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-05

New York, Feb. 4-Eamon De VAL
Irish World, made public today, says
that 'the greatest Of all the many
crimes English statesmen have COM
mitted against Ireland was that COM
mitted by Lloyd George in December
1921, when, under the threat of i'm
mediate and terrible war, he compel
led the signatures of our delebates to
an impossible treaty."
THE key to proper understand
ing of the situation in Ireland today
is a realization of this fact" says the
Irish rebuplican leader. The letter
was dated January 10, and was writ
ten in his hiding place in Ireland.
The letter says in part:
They (the delegates) had gone
voluntarily to meet England's de-
mands to the farthes limit which the
national honor and the principles for
which we stood permitted. BY in
famous threats Mr.. Lloyd George
! forced the delegates beyond the limit
and he, more than any other single
t individual is responsible for the aw-
| full tragedy that is being enacted here
today. His London Treaty has
brought the same confusion and
misery upon the people of Ireland
that the treaty of Versailles has
brought upon the peoples of the con-
tinent of Europe. The root cause is
the same. Force, not right or JUS
tice or reason, was made the guiding
principle. and those who set out as
ln nh IF ic1t a
President Wilson, and grew afraid in
the immediate presence of the task
to which they had set themselves.
THE high motives that probably
. induced our delegates to give way
and to sign. ], for one, have always
been able to understand and been
ready to admit. l believe Arthur
Griffith truly and sincerely loved
! Ireland and would have sacrificed
himself for her welfare. But what
passes my understanding is how any
enc who knew Ireland for the past
four or five years at all could have
! failed to realize that the young men
who We're fighting and daily risking
/ their lives to uphold the republic and
had seen their comrads die for it.
would resist to the death and any at
tempt to disestablish it at England's
bidding. The treaty dictates parti-
. ton of our country, it's forced inclu-
sion in the British empire. the sur
render of our sovereignty. the repu-
diation of our declared independence.
the acceptance of Englands king and
the pledge of fealty to him. made
civil war inevitable here sooner or
later.
ITO defy Lloyd George and to face
renewal of the war and the persecu-
ton which he threatened. or to sur
render our independence and face
, the national disruption and civil war
which that surrender made newt
able. was an awful choice for any
! Irish statesman and lover of his
country to have to make. But still.
there should have been no doubt as
to which alternative should have
been chosen
England should he told plainly, he
wrote. that the price she has de-
manded for peace-civil warts a
price which no nation should he call
ed upon to pay" Internal peace, he
continued was above al else and I'VE
should tell England so and face the
consequences whatever they may be.
There never was Il case in history in
which the good sense of Benjamin
Franklin's saying If we do not hang
together. we shall hang separately
is more applicable"
"Your readers will not be led away
by the pretenseS that the aims of Re-
publiCanS are anarchical and de-
structive. Our aim is essentially the
constructive one of restoring to Ire
land that peace of mind which she
has not known for Notwithstanding
her of the distraction of violent pol
itical agitation which England's
claims have made inevitable, but
from which Ireland has suffered more
perhaps. than from direct persecu-
tions. Ireland unfree can never be
at rest and in unrest. Ireland can
never he more than the most dis
tressful country Our aim is to lay
the foundations properly. When
they are laid. we shall have put Ire
land on the way to be truly great
and happy and shall have made Of
England 4 friend"