SINN FEIN PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 199, 17 May 1919, Page 7

SINN FEIN PROBLEM

. THE INTELLECTUAL VIEW WHAT PROFESSOR MACNEILL THINKS (By the ".Morning Post's" Interviewer.) As 'I waited in the hall of University Col lego 1 noticed an instance of the thoroughness with which the authorities of itho National University, are carrying out the, Roman Catholic idea 'of teaching the youth of the country on, as it were, their own terms. On tho board appeai' this notice; ".Any student anxious to study the- national economics of Ireland who cannot attend -.at tho liours stated is requested to see Professor Oldham, who may sottle to repeat his lectures at any hour to facilitate anv such student in the study. Learn to know your .own land!" While I was reading it Professor John MacNeill joined me, and we crossed to St. Stephen's Green ,to see whether between us we could not settlo tile Irish question. Professor JlacNeill, President of the National University, is the intellectual head of the Sinn Pein movement,' and has only just been released from an English prison. As we sat there in the sunshine (for in Ireland'even the weather, like almost everything else, is hotter than in England), it was difficult to realise that this mild-mannered, kindeyed, courtly gentleman was within an iicb of being shot as a rebel at the 191G rising, and that it might then have been Div duty to wfite his,obituary notice. ItWill be remembered that it was he who issued the countermanding order to tho Irish Volunteers'- 011 Easter- Sunday, and thus prevented the rebellion assuming much greater proportions than it did. Make Peace. "Your interest,'.' lie began, "and I speak to you as representing the great Conservative newspaper of England, is to make peace with us. The wisest thing you,'can possibly do is to give us our own way. Your, reply is that you must govern Ireland for your own security. "You see what- that puts up to ; us. It means that if we' want to be free we must deny you security. That is ai rather awkward situation, isn't it? We want peace as much, as any country wants it. Our experience shows us that we do, not get peace by acquiescence. I do not .think your policy towards usnn the past has been wise in any way. You have undoubtedly weakened us for the last■ seventy or eighty years. Half of".our population has disappeared, and'that ,has.not happened in any country in ■ Europe, no matter, how badly misgovt erned. And over a great part of the . country our industries have disappeared, so that we have practically nothing left but agriculture." "Why have the industries disappeared "—"Because of the pressure of your' form of government. ..First of all, overtaxation, then special encouragement to your owu industries at the expense of ours, and especially your exclusive policy with regard to commerce." Having cited instances such as absenteo .landlordism, land speculation, and shipping restrictions by way of illustrating John Stuart Alillls. dictum that "tho Gov-

eminent of one people by another .people ms impossible," Professor, MacNeilt ,con- / • tinued: "If ire were governed. here by a despot, be might be as tyrannical ;is -.he pleased, but he would be ours. Butthe most, hopeless thing is to he governed, by the popular Government of nn- ' • ■ other' country. 'You*- idea clearly is that the-rule is necessary for your security. .That.may be a goocl reason for you, but .it is not any reason for anybody else. I- . <io not think it is a good reason even ior you. I,think you have not gained; by the fesults of your,'government in Ireland, for if we had double the population, as we .should have had- but for yonr methods, it would be better for'you, and if that population were friendly to •you it tronld be a far greater security .16 you than a military occupation of .'lreland." ... i . . ' A Friendly. Nation. ?-■ -'''rriendjy?"—"You possibly do not'be- - lieve that it could be friendly. I think ' that is duo to your psychology and not . ours; ' Everyone admits that Ireland has suffered in way or another-under yo'yr government in' tho past. I suppose it is a commonplace that people ■who are.conscious of having "committed a wrong dislike those who have -suffered - from it. In fact, I-described your attitude in writing some time ago'as 'the . backwash .of ' a: 1 , bad conscience.' You think because wo have had very strong • ffi'OMds for. a quarrel in the past, thera- . lore if we were tree we must be enemies. " For a.refutation of that theory you have . only to look at the .Continent of Europe. ~ .You were bitter enemies of'both 'France • and Russia.; yet you became. Allies. For, -agesyou were at war with Scotland and ■ ..Wales.'-'..

• ."-B* 1 : they are not asking for Home Itule; they were. They ■ 'tire entitled to make their own choice. \\e are entitled to make ours.'" '* AVby has there been this sudden ae- ■ cession of strength to Sinn Fein?"-"It • js not sudden at all. ■ The position lias - always been practically tho same, The of Ireland always wanted inde- : ■ 'pendence. . . Pheir political leaders not seeing-the prospect of it held out a coin.promise to them, and it was a'caso of a " ' J ' s «»<*• Becent events hare changed the..whole situation, ..and the people are now only putting forward, their natural demands bupposin* that after the faili re , °f Gladstone to carry his Homo •i 6 ?m' , Mr ' I ' arnell ' had come and Mid: We, have .given them an opportunity, to nlake their.peace with us. Thev haye refused it.. I ilow ask vou to declare, .tor complete independence? The ■ Wople" would have said—in IRB6—'l"e=, that is what we want.' The same would have happened .at each of the subsequent 6tages where a. compromise fell through." Out for Independence, "I have often said that your Unionist people perfectly right j„ contending that what wo wanted was independence It does not fo.low—l am not. accusing J -n® ,v ;K wa » te <l a compromise of bad iaith Quite the contrary. I think thev acted in good, faith. Nevertheless (he Jiatural dosiro of the people has always been for independence. At the la<=t election and before it the issue was put without any disguise, and the result did nni, surprise nifc in the least. .When, four 01 nve years ago, -Mr. Redmond seemed 10 own a. majority..in'the countrv, I knew perfectly well lrom my knowledge of the people that things were going to shape the way they have." "Now, as; to your future policy?"—" Our policy is, in tho first instance, to make our cause international-to get all Ihe . international support we can. And that v a n. P°lie.V we shall adhere to .whether it is. immediately successful or nor Wo do look far international support, and we look for American help; but our policy does not depend on gettiug sup- • P.. ,™ m outside. 'Tho thing comes to this: lou must either -weigh us down or ; we .must weigh you dowii. If it is a case of ' fi°'i'^-r" as u e ' lavo doing, we believe that if you have the strength on your , , side we have the toughness on ours. That means a provocation of hostility. We don t want that. AVe'want peace. That is why I speak about it at all to you. who represent .a hostile paper and point ot view Unless wo can convince you thar. that point of view is futile and. foolish it' Would be useless for me to speak to you. .look at the situation in Ireland at'tho piesent moment. You have a stronger military occupation of Ireland llian j'6(i ever ha<l before iiP history. You have tho 1 .'.Defence pf Iho UeaJm operating in almost every possible way, censorship of. tho Press and of publications, prosecutions fo> illegal assembly, the possession of arms , and ammunition, and so on. Courts- ' martial are being held—there is nothing martial about them. Thev are simply police inquiries, doing in the most political sense political work.. If T were, a , military officer \ could not be proud of it." ; Content to Wait. "What do you propose to do?"—"In every' way we*possibly can we intend to strengthen the position of the pedple in securing control 'of their owii affairs. The ■ piople are more' united and clearer in • their understanding of politics, clearer in • their purposes' anil in their dcterniinatiou. Thoy 'ure more prepared to make sacrifices, than ever before. Terms of imprisonment are cheerfully borne. They are regarded simply as 'casualties' in the struggle. - :You say you will havo to re-

press'us. You have more machinery in use for repressing us tliau you ever had, and it lias not succeeded. Wo aro in earnest;'especially the younger men. who 6ity: 'We remember nothing-before tne war.' T don't believe in threatening or anything of that kind. That is only rhetoric. But wu count on' reaching tiie ond we have.in view."

"Before very long?''—"No; I am not going to prophesy. I always tell the people, especially the younger people, who are anxious to.got-early results: 'Good things are worth waiting for."