IRISH NEWS

New Zealand Tablet, 12 June 1919, Page 31

IRISH NEWS

GENERAL. Captain Oliver Moriarty, 4th Royal. Munster Fusiliers, has been appointed a Judge under the Egyptian Government at Cairo. Captain Moriarty, who is a son of Mr. David Moriarty, Clerk of the Crown and Peace for County Kerry, was a member of the Irish Bar. He joined the army at the commencement of the war, and served with the 2nd Munsters in the First* Division in France. He was seriously wounded by high explosive at the battle of Loos. Subsequently he received the appointment of Principal Court-Martial Officer to General Allenby’s army in Palestine, and also acted for a time as Judge Advocate-General in Egypt. During the hearing of a case at Cork Assizes, before Lord Justice O’Connor and a city common jury, Sergeant Sullivan, for the defendant, said in the case they had an illustration of a person greatly concerned about the observance of public convention and not icaring, twopence for the real morality of life. It was characteristic of the religion that was springing up in the country. His lordship, addressing the jury, said Mr. Sergeant Sullivan had made use of some remarks with which he entirely disagreed. He saw nothing in the history of the country, or in that case, to show that the strong moral tone of the country was in the slightest degree weakened. Our morality and sense of personal chastity, continued his lordship, are above reproach. . One of the brightest jewels in the character of Irish women, and, indeed, of Irish men, is that chastity is not on the decrease, but that the highest sense of honor and purity in the sexes is on the increase in this country. (Applause in court.) • ,

1 I. \ r IRISH CENSORSHIP MAINTAINED. The Manchester Guardian says it will probably be _in formation to most people that the censorship of news rrom , Ireland is still- actively continued. It ridicules

the idea of Britain affecting to settle the affairs of half of the world in Paris ..on. the . principles of nationality and justice while all the time the Irish skeleton is being pushed back into the cupboard The continuance of this censorship is denounced* as “futile, wrong, dangerous.” The Irish question must be dealt with directly and it is better’ to have an enlightened public opinion in Britain to deal with it. “The situation in Ireland demands the fullest publicity, and there is no sort of use in denying it,” concludes the Guardian. Quite true (comments : the Glasgow Observer of recent date). But there is no sort of use in saying this now to a Government which the Guardian- did its part in establishing and entrenching, and which will hold office in spite of all such belated remonstrance.

ANTI-IRISH SMOKE SCREEN.

In the course of a remarkable editorial article on “Ireland,” the Chicago Herald and- Examiner, one of the most powerful of American daily papers, says; “An unbiassed American endeavors to examine on his own account 'the Irish question.’ Before he has gone far he finds himself in a maze of statements, deductions, charges, counter-charges, misrepresentations, and. political prattle, with a clash of irrelevant religious discussion thrown in. It is all very confusing. It is intended to be confusing. The complexities are created purposely to hide the truth. They constitute a smoko screen. .

“The only ‘lrish question’ is a simple question of right and wrong. The sincere searcher after truth will find no reason at all for argument. Nothing could be plainer than this: If any subject European nation has the right to be free, Ireland has the right. “If the British Government is wise it will abandon its rule of Ireland by force, and cultivate an alliance based upon gratitude, proximity, mutual welfare, and, above all, upon* the firm foundation of justice and righteousness, without which foundation no Government is ever permanent, no peace ever secure. The world cannot live in peace half-slave and half-free.” Chicago Citizen. —“ England’s crimes against Ireland must end now, no matter how English gold may have corrupted our venal press. Let the press be silent, but we will speak ; we shall be heard in spite of the conspiracy that has been hatched in America.” Mr. Geo. B. Shaw, in an article in the Chicago Herald and Examiner, says; —“The Irish question is very simple. Home Rule is nonsense, and has been nonsense. Neither Gladstone nor Parnell, Redmond nor Asquith, could draft a Home Rule Bill that had any sort of constitutional logic in it, and this not because they were overrated statesmen, especially Parnell. but because ropes of sand are as impossible in politics as in physics. . g. ■ " > “Ireland must choose between being in the British Empire or out of it. If she chooses to be out of it, it must be as a nominally independent State, like Greece or Belgium, whose recent experiences of nominal independence and actual subjugation are hardly .encouraging. And to attain this position the Irish must wait for a miracle which will reduce the British Empire to impotence. .... * .

“If Ireland decides to remain in the British Empire voluntarily, it may fairly claim to be in it on the same terms as England. It cannot reasonably demand more, or honorably accept less. . . . Mr. Wilson had better declare that ‘the Federal solution is impossible,’ and then reintroduce it in a false moustache as ‘Dominion Home Rule.’ ”