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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 22, 1918)
SECTION FOUR Pages 1 to 12 Dramatic, Movies, Autos and Real Estate VOL. XXXVII. : PORTLAND, OREGON. SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 22, 1918. NO. 51. POLITICS -IN IRELAND ARE DOMINATED BY SINN FEINERS Youthful Leaders Sweep Aside Old Politicians and Boldly Strike Out to Win Separation From England. : . c BY EDGAR B. PIPER. . DUBLIN, Nov. 12. (Editorial Corre spondence.) The Sinn Feiners are the dominant political force In Ire land today. It is the newest phase of the ever-changing cycle of pubic events here. It is a young man's ' movement, with the fire and indiscretion of youth. It has set aside the old leaders, ab sorbed their following and embarked boldly upon a. course which is designed to lead to absolute separation from the British Empire. Independence and a distinct national existence is the Sinn Fein goal. There, Is no disguise about it; nor is there concealment of their scheme of out right rebellion, which is to be the final alternative, if other plans fail. They say that any possible hope of consti tutional reform may as well be abandoned, In view of the failure of all parliamentary measures, and they open ly flout home rule or colonial govern ment, or any other proposal which would Hold Ireland as an Integral unit of the British Empire. They are not British, nor Scottish, they say. They are Irish. lreland was a distinct race. With 1e full attribute of nationhood before England was; and of right they should and must bo free. Their chief present reliance for Independence, or separa tion, as It is most commonly called here, is the forthcoming peace confer ence, which is committed In advance, through acceptance by all nations of the 14 declarations, to the principle that small peoples have the right of self-determination. , Wilson Idea Seised. It Is the Wilson idea. That Is where the Sinn Feiners got it. If the peace conference rejects their pleas well, they will carry on. the war in ways they are not ready to define or divulge. And they will make, as their fathers made before them, so they say, all necessary sacrifices in life and blood until the great end shall be achieved. What mat ter a few thousand lives of patriotic and zealous Irishmen now or later? The visiting American editors saw the Sinn Feiners in Dublin. They bad an nounced in passing- through the Irish capital on their way to Belfast, that they woul return and they would be pleased to hear what the Sinn Feiners and any others might have to say on the Irisl question. The leaders of the Sinn Fein were not slow to take ad vantage of the opportunity. They saw. doubtless, a way to spread their propa ganda in America, and to correct what they thought were certain misappre hensions as to their motives, methods and ultimate aims. A half dozen or more of them came at the appointed time, in a waiting room at a large Dublin hotel. Not any of them was probably more than 35 years of age. They were collectively an alert-looking, keen-minded and neatly-dressed lot of Irishmen, and in dividually they were educated, fluent, aggressive and candid. They did not appear to be the stuff of which martyrs are made, though they may be; and they were likewise far removed from the type of low-browed, rough-necked, and quarrelsome hooligan that represents the doctrine of force and terrorism which has Its exponents in Ireland. They were altogether a presentable group of men who knew exactly what they wanted, and were not afraid to say so, though, as it developed, they were not wholly clear as to how they were going to get it. "Rile by Tyrant" Decried. The interview began with a state ment by one of them, an officer of the iginn Fein, as to the historic griev ances and present wrongs of Ireland. For seven hundred years Ireland had suffered the abuses and oppressions of England and it still retained its un conquerable soul and it never would consent to be ruled by the tyrant. There was a great deal more like it. "Let us all agree," said one of the editors, "that everything you say is true about the past and that Ireland has suffered much from English mis government. What about the situa tion today?" "There is no intrinsic change now in England's position towards Ireland," was the answer. "We are unjustly taxed. We are denied our rights. We have no such thing as free speech or individual liberty. We are thrown into prison by the hundreds for such trifling misdemeanor as the singing of a song which England does not like. The Irish coast is a fortress and the island Is a mere garrison for 200, 000 British soldiers. We are denied education for our children. We are, or we have been, the victims of procured famines. We are impoverished and miserable. We have declined in popu lation; for example, from more than 8.000.000 people to a little more than 4.000,000. Our industries languish through discriminations of many kinds. We do not get Justice in the courts. Not long since there was a brutal murder in one of our towns. The keeper of a public house had kicked to death an inoffensive woman, with no provocation. lie was tried and found guilty and the judge, appointed by the Crown, sentenced him to im prisonment for 13 months, saying that he was a loyal citizen, for he had served the Empire well by zealous service In procuring recruits for the army." Irish Are Not BrttUk. "What is the reason Ireland has given so few soldiers to the British army?" "Because we are not British. We are not free men. We are slaves or but little better. Why should we fight to make Great Britain strong? Britain went to war to save Its skin, why should we help? Let us have our free dom and we can then decide on which side in the war to fight. But how can slaves make a choice?" "Are you pro-German?" "We are not. We are pro-Irish." "Have you not accepted aid from Germany!" Aid From Germany Admitted. "Yes. But we have taken it as we have had help from America or France, or any outsider. But we have Incurred no obligations to Germany that we have not incurred to others who are sympathetic and disposed to lend us a hand." "Is it not true that there was a plan to land arms at an Irish port through Sir Roger Casement? Was he not in the German pay?" "Sir Ror was not in 'the German llllllilNNIIlIIIIIIIiliilllllllllllllliiN SmjpTGMte For Gift JPmrjposGS OPEN EVENINGS UNTIL CHRISTMAS America's Leading Popular Priced Phonograph $65.00 An ideal instrument, well finished and worthy of the most scrutinizing inspection. For the past two years the model "U" MUNOLA has led the field of medium-priced phonographs and has rightly earned the name of "Amer ica's Leading Popular Price Phonograph." In thousands of homes in every corner of the United States Munola phonographs are giving the same supreme satisfaction you naturally ex pect of instruments selling at many times the price. !-.- - TUTS S- ' V ? 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Rear- I"" " JCA I 3T m V- U lar S23-.00 value. tZ Vy by8- for I Q En fUlfcW employ He wis an Irish patriot. He sought assistance against Kngland, our enemy, and for Ireland, and he got it. But unfortunately his plans mis carried and he was arrested and Im prisoned, and later executed. This was in 1916, long before America entered the war. have had no truck or bargain with Germany since. Though Sir Roger was In British custody, we went ahead with our plans for an up rising. We fought Kngland and all Its power and there were many casual ties and much loss of life. We have been accused of cowardice. Does that look like cowardice? The rebellion failed and our leaders voluntarily sur rendered. Great Britain promptly shot to death 11 of them. One of our party here was among those sentenced to death, but later ho was freed. Yet he Is under constant surveillance and Is liable-to arrest and imprisonment or worse at any time. From 400 to 600 Irishmen are now in Jail, all of them for political offenses. Yet we will not quit." Americas Sympathy Declines? "Are you aware of the fact that American sympathy for the cause of Irish freedom has declined as a result of. Sinn Felnism and the failure of Ireland to play the part in the war America thinks Ireland should play?" "If that is so it is due to the lying propaganda of Kngland againrt Ire land. Lord Northcliffe is behind it alL He has spent more British money in an effort to poison the American mind fagalnst Ireland than he has spent in his anti-German propaganda In Ger many. An American transport was sunk on the Irish coast and a lot of American soldiers were landed on Irish soil; some of them in a dying condition. It was widely printed throughout America that Ireland had treated them Inhospitably, refusing to care for them. Lord Northcliffe did that." It was suggested that they probably referred to the loss of the Tuscania, and the landing of many American troops on the north coast of Ireland. The editors all assured the Sinn Fein ers that they had seen in no American newspaper any description of the event imputing to Ireland a lack of hos pitality or humanity. Gratitude From America Expected. "We think America owes us grati tude and support," they continued. '.'We are rebels against Kngland so were you. You were successful, but why? Because you had so many Irishmen as soldiers in your revolution. At least half of them were of Irish blood. George Washington said that without them the war for American Independence would have, failed. Now, you tell us that we have lost America's sympathy. There are 20,000.000 Irishmen in Amer ica, and you will have them to reckon with in case you go back on Ireland It is inconceivable to us that you can do so. 'We rely absolutely on Presi dent Wilson and America. President Wilson sakl in his speech at the tomb of Washington, July 14, 1918: " 'What we seek Is the reign of law based on the consent of the governed and sustained by the organized opinion of mankind. - "'President Wilson is definitely on rec ord for the self-determination of small peoples. We are a small people in pre cisely the sense - that the Jugo-Slavs and the Czecho-Slavs are small peoples. Our distinct racial Identity Is further emphasised by the fact that Ireland is an island. Geographically, ethnology-call-., historically, the Irish are a race. a people, a nation. ' "What do you expect President WII son to do for you?" AppearsBce st Conference Plan. . "We shall appear before the peace conference which stands for the 14 Wilson articles of peace, including the right of self-definition and self-government, and ask for recognition. How- can it .be denied? We have come to regard President Wilson as the savior of mankind. How can he refuse to stand by us, unless he Is the world's greatest hypocrite "Yet the peace conference may refer "ir case back to the British Kmpire. What will be your next step?" "We shall carry on the fight. Thou sands of Irishmen will die but they are ready: then other thousands. But it- will be the same .till we get our rights." "But sorely you have a concrete plan of action" Ovrn Government Is Hope. "Yes, we shall set up a government of our own at Dublin. In the coming parliamentary election we shall elect at least 75 out of 102 members of par liament. They will not take their place at Westminster. Vacant seats there will be the silent witnesses of our Mahogany Breakfast Table Make her happy, buy this beautiful Mahogany Table. Such a useful piece of furniture and a Joy forever. Other breakfast tables as Cf cheap as.. . 'riJU The Keed Chair and Rocker we are offering is much better than illus trated; has higher back and broad er arms, upholstered reversible cre tonne cushions. Yonr Choice I C flfl at GADSBYS for Only ? I UiUU Piano Lamps We have the finest assortm e n. t of Piano and TableLamps all the newest styles, with blue, old rose, old, gold, cerise. mu i d e r ry. mustard col or s h a d e s. AH on sale for Christmas. j Wmo G-adlslb"y Member Greater Portland Association CORNER SECOND AND MORRISON STREETS purpose to have no more to do with the British Kmpire. These 75 members will be the nucleus of a new Irish parliament. Sixty of our candidates are now In jail. But it makes no dif ference. We shall rind ways to get them out." "Will you not be satisfied if Great Britain gives you home rule?" "No. First, she will not give it. Second, we don't want 'it. and we de- mnd. and will have, our freedom." "How is it that Irish sentiment has for so many years favored Home Rule, and not separation? Why the change?" Home Rnle Mesas Kncl. There Is no change. With Ireland, home rule was merely a means to an end. A step toward the real goal in dependence. We have never wanted anything else. We would never have been content with anything else. Pas nell and all the real Irish leaders actually aimed at separation and a dis tinct nationality. We repudiate any other policy. We repudiate the so called nationalist leaders who would give us half a loaf. They are done, for we are done with them." "What are you going to do about Clster?" "We believe in majority rule. It is the republican way.- Ireland must de termine fJr herself what kind of gov ernment she will have. We will take cur chances In that kind of a decision. i-ct Lister do the same. Are you not aware that most Ulster men have signed a covenant that they win never consent to be governed from Dublin?" "Yes. But that is mainly bluff. What are they to do but accept the govern ment Ireland chooses to give themT They will have no alternative." Ireland Capable of Control f 'Do you regard Ireland as capable of self-government?" "Most certainly. The days of IrlsH freedom from Kngland were Irelanrt's most prosperous era. We have the resources, we have the men, we will, get the money. We want Ireland's taxes spent in Ireland. We want fiscal freedom. We are paying Groat Britain In taxes more than f30.M00,00O per year. We can administer an Irish government with 11.000.000. We would impose our own tariffs, create our own industries, find our own markets. It is true that Kngland Is now our best market. But if Kngland lays a discriminative tariff against us. we shall build a tariff wall against Kngland. Why can't we sell our products to America and all the world?" "You have only a few million people. How can you expect to maintain your selves when you are out from under the protection of the British navy?" "Great Britain is the last remaining autocracy. It must go. British naval Ism is a menace to the peace of tho world. America talks much of freedom of the seas. Some day you will be called on to bring the British navy to account. We may safely leave all that to you. Ireland will be a small nation, but It is the day when small nations are coming into their own. Iook at Denmark. Holland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland. Geographically Ireland !- twice. as large as the next largest small nation. It should have, and will have, commensurate population and wealth." "Have you thought about Belgium?" How About Belgium f "Y'es. But Belgium was in Germany's road. If Belgium had given German troops right of way, there would have been no trouble" "Is the Sinn Fein a Catholic organi zation? Is the Catholic Church in any way responsible for the present state of affairs In Ireland?" "No. Ireland is three-fourths Catho lic, and naturally tho Sinn Feiners are mostly Catholic, as all other revolu tionary movements have been. But it should be remembered that Wolf Tone, the great leader, was a Protestant, and so w.-re most of his associates. Robert Kinmett was a Protestant. The division in Ireland tod'iy is rather geographical than denominational. Many Protestants outside of L'ister are with us. Most Protestants In L'lstcr are against us. and doubtless many Catholics. The church follows, rather than leads, the politic-il sentiment that prevails within its environment." , And ro the debate ran on for hours. The Sinn Feiners were earnest, en thusiastic and. It may be supposed, sin cere. It is not the design here to say that they were visionary, misguided or mistaken: only to reveal what is In their minds. The climax of the day w-as reached when the question was asked: "Is a compromise with Kngland not possible?" "No. England has given us the worst government in the world. But if Eng land gave us the best government in the world, we should still fight for our freedom and independence." ePMercKandiso of O Merit Only Our Sunday Advertisement Which Usually Appears on This Page Will Be Found in Section 1 And Another Page of Christmas News From This Store Ap pears Also in Section 1 Business Is Rushing Thank You! T I i i i 3 l!l!II!!l!!llll!IIII!!!iI!l!IIIIi;iI!IIII!II!IIIIIIIII!IIIll!!I!!I!!IIIH r,