The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-03-05

A stirring appeal for American
 aid to preserve Irish freedom ell.
 maxed the annual Emmett Day
 dinner of the American Fraternity
 Sons of Erin at Hotel Commodore,
 New York, last evening. The chief
 speaker was Judge Willia m
 O'Dwyer, district attorney of
 Brooklyn, N. Y., who will be re-
 membered as the dynamic prOsecu-
 tor who uncovered, exposed and
 brought to justice the nationally
 infamous murder ring known as
 Murder, Inc.
 The ideals of the Emmctts, the
 JefferSOns and the LincOlnS do
 not change with the years or with
 the locale. declared Judge O'Dwycr.
 References to President ROOsevelt's
 stand In the present world wide
 crisis and to America's fight for
 freedom were made in the course
 of the brilliant address, which fol-
 lows:
 "The story of Robert Emmett has been told in many lands and many tongues wherever freedom was held dear Emmett preached the doctrine of resistance to tyranny 50 fervent- ly and effectively that 1t permeated everybody around him. He made his sacrifice at the very threshold of his manhood. The basis of the universal love which sanctifies his name was his unselflsh devotion to that principle of freedom. Ills ap- peal was to time and eternity and not merely to the tyrantS of his day. So he has come to typify the spirit of liberty everywhere. He is not just an Irish hero--a national heroine is guiding fight to all the oppressed and disinherited peo- pie of the world.
 Emmett symbolizes not only the fearless patriot of his time but he represents the uncompromising ten- acity of Q people in their struggle for liberty running from ancient times to the present day.
 Resist Aggression.
 Resistance to aggression Is in- stinctive in the Irish people. Some- times this instinct makes them do things that seem strange to those who do not understand. A race of people whose minds are active. they have been known to disagree vio- lently on many issues. A race of people whose emotions run high, they have been known, even in our times, to forgive the awful wrongs of yesterday. Eut in one thing they have always been consistent, they NEVER have failed to rise In pro- test against tyranny and aggression even when their armor was broken and the oppressor's sword was at theri hearts. This characteristic followed the people wherever they went.
 They were at Ayacucho with Bolivar and San Martin; they were with Brown in Argentina; with O'Higgins in Chile: with O'Leary in Venezuela; they were at Yorktown with Washington. Never have they been found on the side of the op- prcssor against the oppressed. Never have they been found sponsoring terror 6r oppression. Never have they been found denying man his divine right to live as a free, decent human being. They have always been, as they are today, ready to fight the forces of destruction and to pay with their lives for freedom.
 The ideals of the Emmetts, the Jeffersons and the Lincolns do not change with the years or with the locale. This Is true of the people Of Ireland as 1t is Of the people of America and of liberty loving peo- pie everywhere. It is not in the nature of the Irish people to accept synthetic new orders which deny the basic principles of human lib- erty.
 Measure of Freedom
 It was only about 20 years ago that Ireland began to enjoy it's first measure of freedom. and the way It's people met and used this free dom. proved at once, that in their centuries of struggle. they knew what they wanted, and that they valued highly the precious freedom they fought so long to attain. The first thing they did, was to plan their Government on democratic and representative basis with no racial or religious discrimination. They proved to the world that they knew how to live in peace among themselves and with their neigh DOTS. They divided large estates and land among the people. and set about to develop the Coun- try for peaceful and useful pursuits. They built roads. they developed their waterways. their agriculture, and fisheries. They established in- iustrial enterprises. built new schools and new homes. They not ,nly encouraged but they financed the native crafts, and their litera- ,llre and art. They made provision Tor their aged. their unemployed. heir widows and orphans. In short. .hey entered upon the development md enjoyment of living as civilized people, with the highest achieve nent of modern civilization as their ,oal and standard. This was true not only in their domestic affairs md in their daily tasks but also In heir foreign affairs and in their with other nations.
 Their spokesmen In the League ,i Nations were among the first md the most fervent at the very lrst sign of the trend of aggression, nVaalon and terror t0 condemn