THE IRISH PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 303, 11 September 1918, Page 6

THE IRISH PROBLEM

Sir,—Your ' correspondent, Maziere Brady, in your issue of September 7, brings out all the old arguments_ on Irish Home Rule and Ireland's right to self-determination. It would be well for your correspondent to come down from the clouds and look facts squarely in the face. Let us suiroose that Home Rule were passed for Ireland; a general election would have to follow, and it is pretty certain that the Sinn Feincrs would carry a majority in the country. Is there any possibility of a party of men 'such as they are composed of passing the Conscription Bill for Ireland to raise recruits , for the Britinhi Army? (I use the word "British"* your correspondent makes reference to English in his letter.) These men are doing tho work of Germany just as much as if they were fighting on Germany's side. Your correspondent makes out a very good cale for Ulster, in his reference to the rights of small nations to determine their own Ulster has declared over and over again that she preferred to remain under tho British Government than Tinder the proposed Irish Government, and if, as your, correspondent asserts, Serbia. Belgium, and Ireland have that,right, why deny Ulster her claim to choose which slui' shall live' under? I think t»e less said about the- Irish Convention the better. It was simply a waste of time and money, and ended where it started. The pronosals that emanated from tho Nationalists were oven moro drastic than the agreement entered into by Mr. John Redmond. At the convention Bishop O'Donnell presented a scheme involving a sovereign, independent Parliament for Ireland, with complete fiscal autonomy, including the right of making commercial' treaties with foreign countries, and the right to raise and maintain a military force: Is this one of tho ways that the Nationalists more than half met the Ulster delegates, as your correspondent states? —I am, etc., THOMAS M. MILLIGAN. September 7/ ■ ■'