Evening star., 1923-06-05
BY THE MARauIsE DE FoNrENoY

BY THE MARQUIsE DE FoNTENOY.
There are no two nationalities
| which, In spite of their racial af-
| nnities. have less in common than
the Scotch and the Irish. and while
| the immigration OF the Scots. with
their thrift and industry, into the
northern provinces Of the Emerald
/ isle, has contributed enormously to
| the prosperity and development of
Erin. 1T cannot be denied that their
antagonism with their fellow cit
izens Of true Hibernian stock-that
| Is to say. with the major portion Of
the population-has been responsible
for the dfficulties of government and
| for the internal dissensions which
have disturbed the land sacred to St
Patrick for hundreds of years past.
especially since the reign of Queen
Elizabeth.
In view of this the astonishing i'm
migration OF the Irish into Scotland
is exciting attention and even alarm
! Indeed, 1t has formed the subject Of
very serious discussion on the part
OF the General Assembly OF the Church
OF Scotland at Edinburgh. which has
4
the presidency of Lord Erskine in his
Vlceregal caDacitv as lord high COM
missioner for King George. This
| General Assembly Of the Church Of
Scotland, which meets each spring is
| the nearest approach that exists to
any independent Scottish parliament
It's decisions are regarded as an ex-
/ preston Of the national will of the
/ northern kingdom and the period Of
! its fortnightly sessions forms the
! height of the court and social season
OF the northern metropolis.
| y
| The assembly resolved that at is
incumbent on the Scottish people to
consider before 1t is too late the
\ grave situation in their native land.
and to devise means which. while
they do no injustice to the Irish peo-
pie whom they allow to come into
their country. will preserve Scotland
for the Scottish race. and secure to
| future generations the traditions.
| ideals and faith OF great people un-
spoiled and inviolate." Indeed. fears
were expressed at the general as
sembly at Edinburgh that Scotland
| was becoming more Irish than Scotch
| According to the reports presented to
the assembly. the great industrial de-
velopment Of Scotland in the latter
4 v.
! especially in the region around GIas-
gov demand for cheap labor arose
! and crowds of Irishmen from the
central and southern part of the
\ families TO Scotland. and then in
vited their relations and friends. In
Glasgow and in the counties of Ian
ark. Dumbarton. Renfrew. in North
every third person is irish. The irish
population in Scotland is increasing
| by leaps and bounds. During the
last twenty years the Irish increase
In the northern kingdom has been
80 per cent, and the Scottish only S
inerea-e of popqlasio in seotland
was six and a half times as great as
The assembly accepted the findings
OF it's committees that. whenever
the Irish population reaches a certain
proportion In any community In
Scotland the tendency of the Scottish
possible" The disinclination of the
Scots to work alongside and live
among Irish. as well as the very
natural partiality of Irish foremen
for employing Irishmen. and the diff
Guilty of bringing about any fusion
OF the two races-as In Ireland-is
having the result of rendering many
areas Of the large cities, Of the towns
and Of the VILLAGES of Scotland e1-
Y
foresees the impending Irish domina-
tion Of the great Industrial plain OF
Scotland, stretching from Glasgow in
the west TO Dundee and 10 Edinburgh
| in the east.
This fncursion OF the Irish. and es-
! pecially Of the Irish working man.
into Scotland In such a wholesale
fashion ls rendering more acute than
ever the racial antagonism. The
Scotch see their racial supremacy in
their native land-in the land of their
| fathers-seriously in danger. and the
| loss of their control Of the industrial
and wealth producing parts of their
country. They ask whether the Irish
| would welcome the invasion of a mil
| lion of Scotchmen into the counties
around and to the south of Dublin,
| or whether the English people would
receive with open arms a few millions
| of Poles in the industrial areas OF
Yorkshire, Staffordshire and Lanca-
shire.
or course, the question arises az
! to where the Scots are going. after
being thus, to all intents and pur-