THE NEXT REBELLION IN IRELAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 255, 23 July 1919, Page 8

THE NEXT REBELLION IN IRELAND

SINN FEIN'S NEW VITALITY

SEQUEL TO IRISH-AMERICAN

DELEGATION

(By "A Prominent Irish Politician," i"

the "Daily Mail.")

The writer of this article does not write over his name lest ho might bo shot. Tilings have been drifting towards rebellion in Ireland ior a .considerable time. Few doubt that_ it is' now inevitable. JJcfore the arrival here of tho delegation which raileditself. the "American Commission ol Irish Freedom" Sinn Fein was driven from one device to another to keep afloat, it had promised Hi tue most definite twine an Irish republic. It captured the country at the general election upon that promise and persuaded a majority of the electors to uphold it because it was opposed by "imperialists," a'ho.wouid accept a half measure ol Jrciaad's rights. 'i'ho republic was to come by the aid of "gallant allies in Europe" at one moment; next it was the l'cace Conference; occasionally it was tile "armed young men of Ireland." America was then never once alluded to except with a sneer. it was regarded as the country that .'had taken the wrong side, the side of Ireland's oid enemy, Lngland. ilie dial's and Stripes were never seen at a ijinn Fein gatntring, and when the picture of President \vilson was thrown on the screen at a kineiua theatre in Cork or Dublin there was a disturbance amounting almost to a riot. On more than one occasion at demonstrations in the provinces the American hag was captured from the opposing "imperialists" and burned or turn up into Iragmeuts.

Waning Dajs. in those days Sinn Fein was not gaining ground. It made no appeal to the patriotism or good sense of the people. 111 South Armagh, at a by-election m February, .1918, its candidate was- defeated bv an overwhelming majority. Two months afterwards, at the election which ensued in Wateri'ord City 011 the lamented death of John Eedmond, a great majority of the electors decisively rejectod Sinn Fein, in East Tyrone, immediately following, the result was the same. People rejoiced; they,thought an end had been made to a wicked and foolish policy. . , , , But a change came with alarming suadenness. Tho Irish Convention, which had been silting for nearly twelvemonths, predated its report- It was a. remarkable report indeed. The Prime Minister, Mr. Lloyd George, had promised, m language as deijnite and emphatic as could be used, that when the event happened lie would act: "The Government will proceed with the least possible delay to submit legislative proposals to Parliament," wrote the right hon. gentleman on February 25, 191 S. True to his promise, lie did act. lie arrested the Sinn Fein leaders a day or two after the report was issued, and he introduced legislative proposals to larilament, but it was to conscript young Irishmen into the Army, and not to carry out his own solemn pledge. . It was a futile and deplorable proceeding; the Act was never enforced, and Sinn Fein, strengthened and reinforced, claimed 'to have routed Mr. Lloyd Georw, and the claim had some considerable toundation ' ~ a . It was a, great moment for the binn Fein Party. It went into the ascendant; it secured' an easy victory at.the general election of 1918. An impressionable people were persuaded that Parliameiitarians had brought them a Conscription Act. but that Sinn Fein with its Ulster methods of resistance^ had killed it. The Ferment Spreads.

The ferment spread to America. Money flowed over to the Sinn Fein banks. The Sinn Fein leaders, 011 their release two months ago, found that all that was wanted was "to deliver the goods. They wore* unable to do so. Tl\cj' had no republic to offer, as they had promised; and they were not going, to the Pence Conference or likelv to bo invited. Iheir fall was a question of weeks, perhaps of ilavs or hours. . ... ~, Then came the amazing visit of the delegation calling itself "The American Commission of Irish Freedom." It consited of three persons—Mr. Frank P. Walsh, Mr. Edward l'\ Dunne, and Mr. ,Michael J. Ryan—who claimed to have been appointed at a convention held in Philadelphia on February 22 last to proceed to Paris to secure tho safe conduct of three members of Die'"republic," eet uu in Ireland to lay the case of their country before thtf Peace Conference. This was a pretty tall request, as the Yankees would say themselves. These gentlemen obtained in Paris with astonishing rapidity an extension of their passports to Ireland, and arrived at Kingstown 011 Saturday, May 3. Mr. Frank P. Walsh, in an interview published in the "Freeman's Journal" on Moiulny, May 5, said that "they had every assurance that the safe conduct to Paris of President de Valera and his two colleagues would be granted," and that when their request was presented to Mr. Mr. Lloyd George "he espresed a desire to see tho three gentlemen who composed the delegation." The delegates were willijiu to see him, but ho wa6 too busy The report of Mr. Walsh's statement then continues: . We do not appear in Paris or in Ireland in any position except as that of advocates of tho present Irish republic. . . . Next week wo have an engagement with Mr. Lloyd George, made through Sir , William Wiseman, the liaison officer between tho English and American Governments in Paris. Mr. Walsh was then asked if the people of America recognised the existence of the present Irish republic, and "the reply of Jfr. Walsh was in the affirmative." This was the official declaration ot the delegates on landing 011 our;shores. It was read all over (lie country and people went mad with delight. Sane men who, tho week before, had ridiculed ihe idea of an Irish republic, believed it was coming. America recognised it already, and Jlr. Lloyd George himself now saw that it was useless to stand in its way! These men came to Ireland with officinl sanction; they could not otherwise have ■ come. The three delegates went to Cork, to Limerick, to Belfast. to Gal way, and to Weslporu, and their speeches become, as the days passed. more emphatically republican. The dav before they left Ireland Mr. Walsh delivered an impassioned speech in which he declared that it was useless and futile to ask for less than an Irish republic-it would not lie accepted.

Deplorable Results. The effect of these speeches, delivered with a sort of semi-official English-. American sanction and implicitly believed in by simple young men, has been simply deplorable. In an experience ot forty years among my cxcilablo countrymen I have not known anything like so wicked and mischievous a propaganda. It might have, been different. A moderate course on the national question might have been urged, and .moderato men., in the Sinn loin ranks would have jaequ willing to climb down a good deal for a. settlement, but every such hope was destroyed by the lino taken. , And at this moment Sinn Fein again is in great distress. It has been left no outlet except in another rebellion. Germany has failed; tho Peace Conference has fuiled; America has' not even tried to help. Tho Commission of Freedom raised high hopes, and'made it absolutely impossible for do Vnlera to lower his flag even if he were so minded, and tho wild, mad, extreme men are on the heights. Every single promise which has been made must fail; every high liopo which was raised must within the next two months be disappointed. Mr. do' Vulera cannot; deliver tho republic, but he can die. The last rebellion was u poor nll'air. The next will probab y be liioro formidable; it will probably extend to every parish in the country. It will have clerical leaders in many centres. It may take many weary months to stamp out. It will be mudtied and mishandled. The Government that caunot safely couduct a prisoner irom one town to another may be relied upon to mako a mess of the suppression of an anned outbreak. All that i goes without saying. . ' . Thore aro signs fcluii the trouble is

coming. Hon* soon no one can say. lhe knowing people who load up to, not into, a rebellion are already 111 full re* treat. Others arc buying Hoar and condensed milk, o . . , I am positively of opinion that the horror and disaster of this outbreak might have been avoided if Messrs. Walsh, Dunne, and Jiyan had been kept in Paris.