THE GENTLE ART OF PROPAGANDA.

Southland Times, Issue 18834, 29 May 1920, Page 3

THE GENTLE ART OF PROPAGANDA.

To the Editor. Bt your editorial of Thursday's issue you rtpnart from that spirit of calm judicial comment which vc are acc.ustonied to look for in a well informed and accurate journal, Deterring to ihe propaganda work of the Sinn 1-ein party in America you speak of the absence of counter work from Britain. lon forget the thirty millions of money Sent by Britain in America during the war, winch was marie necessary chiefly owing to the fact, which you acknowledge, of the minunmc Irish vote in the States. You forger the mission of the North of Ireland delegate.s to America which is still, I believe. pursuing its devious course through the States, if it has survived the united preta-t of the various Protestant churches, who flatly told these reverend messengers from the North that American Protestants retimed to identify the cause of Ireland with any < pie-I inn of religious bigotry on the patt ot (lie bulk of Irishmen. You forget that the leader of this mission of “religious Rredorn" was branded in America as an unleeiing and heartless bigot, by reason of his treatment of a poor girl who occupied the po-.-i.mn of sewing ten her in a school in his pan-di, and whom he had deprived of her means of livelihood because she belonged to the same church as a number of the school children. If you had more carefully scunner! ini- American exchanges you would have .a,m that the British Governluon; :m| tu-fing as s'upidly as you would have -as believe, by neglecting propaganda work ie. America. A« to the areurncy of your quotation of th." words of IV Valera 1 make no remark. I only state what is well known, that recruiting in Ireland during the war got its first set back when the mil l iry ant horil ie.--, after promising (hat

Irish recruits would lie formed into distinctive Irish brigades, so th;it they should h.ive tin- credit of the suet essful work that v.'i- expected of them, suddenly wheeled round end scattered the Irish soldiers ;iiin'ii";l different regiments. Does it not strike you that the wonderful success of De Valera in America, where he has raised about three million pounds, not by feverish activity, as you assert, but by accepting the in\it cticit’.s that have poured in on him from all parts of the United States, to address them and give them a statement of the merits of the question as between England and Ireland, is a proof of the man’s ability and It r ness. He has addressed legislative assemblies of men who should be shrewd judge.- of character, and on all sides has ■ leim leeiaimed a born leader. De Valera is out for ju.-tiee to Ireland and if, as you kiv, lie has an eye on the Presidential election in \mer;ca. to use it in good purpose i n behalf of Ireland, floes it not show IHit icnl sagaei'y on his [tart. 1 think we could do with a few men like hint in New Zealand in the present very unsatisfactory political conditions, You blame De Valera for urging America to insist on being paid what is owing to her by Britain. On the fmi- of it you seem to have a poor opinion of Britain's hone, ty, if you fancy she will ; to wriggle out of iter obligations. Whilst Kngland refines to anply the rule of selfdetermination to Ireland, which she has hch'pd to [tut in operation for other small nationalities, there will be discontent iti Ireland and sympathy with her from the worlfl at large. All kinds of repression have been M-jcd wit'unit effect. and now it is up to Bii'i'lt Oovernment to try the effect of lioeriy on Ireland and ;-ee if it will not work as well as it has in New Zealand, Canada, Australia, etc. I am, etc., lONA.