CONSCRIPTION IN IRELAND.

Taihape Daily Times, 29 November 1918, Page 3

CONSCRIPTION IN IRELAND.

HOW AMERICAN OPINION JUDGES A COMPLETE CHANGE OF VIEW. Opinion in the United States has been always in favour of Homo Rule, but it tries the question now by a new test and comes to a quite new judg--1 ment: “America has come to consider every question, small or great, in its relation to the war If Americans are thinking of Ireland, they are chiefly anxious to know how and when Ireland is going to play her proper part in the fight for liberty.” The attitude of the Irish-American is especially worthy of note. Mr. T. P. O’Connor recently addressed the Irish Fellowship Club is Chicago, and made the usual Nationalist speech on the wickedness of the British Ministry in proposing to conscript Irishmen. At the close of the speech, according to the Chicago “Herald,” two members rose and protested vigorously; “ ‘Mr. O’Connor says that, as Irishmen, we should stand by Irishmen. I say that if the winning of the war meant the sinking of Ireland to the depths of the “Lusitania,” I say let us sink her,’ shouted Quin O’Brien. ‘We are, first of all, Americans, antT"we are in this war. Let us appoint a committee to form our views and express them later, and not endorse what has been said hastily.’ T agree with Mr. O’Brien,’ said James G. Condon_ T don’t believe the Irish of the United States are going to laugh with scorn at England and her internal condition. We have given to Ireland, and now we of America say, “Give us back.” Don’t throw discredit on the whole Irish race. God help the men who are to answer if Ireland does not keep on with the war. God help the men that try to withdraw her 250,000 troops from the field. Do not threw discredit on the Irishmen by letting the fight on her own isle encumber the fight for the freedom of the whole world.’ The two members were cheered loudly. The Irishmen of Dallas, Texas, met to discuss the Irish question. The meeting adopted a resolution: “That we respectfully adyisp and most earnestly entreat the Hon.' John Dillon to bring his people to stand with us iu this, our time qf need, as we have always stood by Ireland'.and that we send him a cablegram ’ substantially as follows: .‘Meeting of Irishmen and their descendants in Dallas, Texas, endorse the immediate granting of Home Rule and extension of conscription to Ireland to, fight

( with, the Allies, as the Irishmen in America and their descendants are now doing.’ ” If Irisn-Americans take this view, it is easy to infer the view taken by j the ordinary American citizen. Mr. Taft, who represents moderate American opinion, said, in a very able speech on our work in the war, that America owed her filial admiration to I Great Britain for carrying on the j struggle for four years: j “And those who, by insinuation | against Britain —Irish or others, I 1 don’t care who —would seek to divide this country in backing up England, whatever they intend, arc traitors in j effect When we are fighting together I I with another, we stand by him. If j we don’t, we don’t know what fight- ' ing is, we have not the game spirit, and we don’t understand the object.” j The New York “Times” put the case more bluntly still. “Ireland,” it said, “has been treated in this warlike a spoiled child. “What sacred privilege attaches to ! an Irishman in Ireland that he shall not be made to fight against Germany as Irishmen of Wales, or Scotland, or ’ Canada are made to fight against ! Germany? Not in this country, not in 1 any country that is fighting Germany, will ‘the audacious preposterosity’ be ; swallowed that an Irishman of Ireland I may sulk and skulk, may hate Engj land more- than he loves freedom, may , join hands with its inexorable foes. ■ Whether the opposition to 'conscripj tion comes from'Cardinal, Archbishop, I Bishop, priest, or from those Sinn Fein ruffians who insulted American sailors and the American flag, Americans and all the other nations banded against Germany regard the enemies of Irish conscription as their enemies.” The New' York “Times” wont on to say that if the Nationalist members ] had talked in America as they talked lin Dublin against conscription, they j would have been sent to gaol. As for jthc proposed-visit of the Lord Mayor of Dublin to Washington to solicit the President’s help against Conscription, the Lord Mayor “would be in effect a German agent,” and “the Chief Burgomaster of Berlin rvould be exactly as welcome and popular a personage here.’ ” j