ENGLAND AND AMERICA

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 19, 7 May 1903, Page 29

ENGLAND AND AMERICA

— «. INFLUENCE of IRISH-AMERICAN SENTIMENT.

Captain Shawe-Taylor, a West of Ireland landlord, who had acted as secretary to the Irish Land Conference, \ibited the United States and Canada lecently tor the puipo.se of finding out the 1 lews ol leading Irishmen thcio on the land question Having concluded his mission he returned to Ireland towards £he end of Jbebjiuuv and on his arrival in Queenstown was interviewed by several Pi ess representatives. In the course of his interview he said .—. — Immediately after the Land Confeienco had concluded its sittings 1 loft for America in order to discuss the new and exti aordinary situation created m Ireland with the leadeis of Irish political thought and sentiment across the water My object was to ascertain whether Irishmen m America entertained a leally undying and irreconcilable hatied to England, or whether/ in the event of England displaying a sincere endeavor to restore peace and prosperity to the country by finally settling the land question, there would be any possibility ol a Change in '. T rish- American Sentiment. My \isit has lasted for five weeks, and during that time I have met the Irish leaders in conferences in New York, Boston Chicago, in the United States ; and in Ottawa, in Canada. Tl addressed 250 delegates from all the States of America before the Irish- American Historical Society, the National Council of the United Irish League of America, the Irish Club, and the Irish National Club in. New York, and the English Victorian Club of Boston ; and also visited Washington, Richmond, Montreal, and Buffalo. In Washington President Roosevelt lecehed me. 1 also met, amongst otheis. Senator K earns and the Hon James G. Walsh. In New York, the lion William MacAdoo, ex-Secre-tary of the U S. Navy , Judge Goff. Attorney-General • T. St John GafTney, John E Mulholland, Mr J O'Sullivan, Mr Patrick Egan. Mi Patrick Ford, editor ' Irish World,' and also the leaders of the Clan-na-gael In Boston, the lion James A Collins, Mayor of the city , Mr. James JefTrev Roche, editoi of the' Boston 'Pilot': the lion J Fil/patnck, Mr Joseph Smith Mr II Shuinan In Chicago the Hon John F'inerty, Colonel United States Aini\ nnd piopnetor ' Chicago Citi/en ' . Mr William Dillon. Mi Eimnett Chue, Mr J Bany, Mr J O'Shaughnessy Fn Ottawa, the Co\ernor-General the Earl of Minto, Sir Wilfred I aunei , Prime Minister of Canada : the Secletary of -State, the Hon A Scott ; the Attorney-Gene-ral, the Hon A I-it/patnck , the Hon John Co'stigan Mr I)'Aic\ Scott. Pr Freeland, Piesident UIL of Canada , and many others. t President Roosevelt, who is himself halt an Irishman, and e.xticmelv proud of the latt, iecei\ed me most coidiallv He follows lush atTan s with the keenest interest and I belie\e tin re is no one m the United States moie anxious ior the pi onmtion of lieland's welfaie than the piesent President Relei nng to the Conlerence, he said, '1 am not speal-mg now as a politican when I say that in company with the whole tnilised woild I heaitily welo'ne 'he j'lospect ol a (Tial settlement ot the Irish land question ' .Sir Willnd laiuier, too, is a firm believer in the future ot li eland, and said he sincerely hoped the i econiniendations ot the Confetence would lie can led out, ' for this would nol alone confer a great boon on li eland, but also on England, Canada, and the whole British Empne ' A resolution, embodying this sentiment, will be submitted to the Canadian House of Commons on its j-o-assetnblv after March 12 by the lion John Co.stigan and will lie supported by Sir Willnd and the Go\ eminent oi Canada (We wete infoinied b\ cable that the resolution was submitted to the Canadian IIou"-e of Commons and unanimously agieed to ) Briefly put the situation m the United States is thi c The It ish-Ainei nan Party ha\mg abandoned all hope of obtaining lefotm m lieland except by lorce, h,n c adopted on all possible occasions offensn c and hostile measures acainst England rlheter lhete aie Eighteen Million Irish-Americans, and they excercise a power out of all proportion to their "nunihei s owing to t lie fact that they practically govern the large cities, and hold the highest official and financial positions throughout the countiy Then influence on the American Pi ess, too, is phenomenal Their method of proceduie m thwarting England is extremely simple In the United States all foreign treaties and ai i angemonts lia\o to come beioie the Senate for ratification In all treaties afiecting Gieat Biitam tne pieatest pressi re is put on the Senate by the L ish.Ainencan Party to wreck any Jiill which can by any stretch of tile imagination be considered as ofleiingamthmg ai»pi nai lung lea'onabV terms to (Jie.it Bntarn They ai c m a position t" influence 7~> ])ei' cent of the Senate, and the joniainmg 25 per cent , who are Poniocrats fiom the South, cannot be considered as a hostile element to the Irish — thcmsel\es natuial Demociats As examples of how effectually lhis has been done, the wieckmg of the British Extradition Treaty and the

Sent"Joned Ccf '° te * itS ori g inal f °rm, may be In Canada the situation is different, and no country is. 1 believe, more alne to the advantages to be gained An Amicable Settlement than the Dominion of Canada. Her frontiers march parallel with the United States. Canada, therefore, offeis to the Irish-American Party the nearest and readiest object lor an attack on the hated British Empire. I cjiioto the words of the Secretary ot State the Hon A Scott : ... ' Canada has suffered in blood and treasure, through no iault of her own, owing to the Fenian raid ' Jhe hostile attitude of the Irish-American Party leads to frequent and grave international complications ?'™n™?^ n - lt u d states - Canada has lost at least 1,000,000 Irishmen as emigrants owing to the hatred of the Irish to the British flag, and their unwillingness, therefore, to make Canada their home.' Small wonder then, continued Captain Shawe-Taylor, that Canada' with the Alaskan Boundary coming up for ratification by the Senate of the United States and with other international problems requiring readjustment, is anxious to let her voice be heard in the present crisis Now during my visit I have had the opportunity of meeting Irishmen of all shades and degrees of political opinion, and I ha^e the highest possible authority for making the following statement — A final settlement of the land question by removing the barrier at present existing between Ireland, and England will greatly improve the relations between America and England, and will also link in closer friendship the Dominion of Canada to the British Empire '

A few Sundays ago his Grace the Archbishop of Melbourne blessed and opened a handsome High School for the Chnstain Bi others at North Melbourne. Brother Hogan said that business at the High School had begun last January with an attendance of 44 boys, and it had increased to 93. Those numbers proved the great necessity of a High School at North Melbourne It would not be out of place, on that occasion, to say something regarding the outlay The grounds, buildings, and furnishings had cost £lf)3fi 12s; £25fi 17s had been expended on St. Maiy's school. Father Carev had given £12000 and Father O'Connell (Carterton) £1000. At the present time they were £1800 in debt. There were 550 boys m the thiee schools His Grace the Archbishop deli\eied an imprcssne address, and speeches were also (teluered by the Rev Father Carev, and the Mayor Mr I'iendei gast, M L A.

For ninny years (writes the Melbourne correspondent of the ' Freemjin's Journal ') the sphere of the Christian Hr others in Victoria was limited to the East Melbourne College, St. Fi amis' School, the South Melbourne Orphanage the Ballarat College, and the primary schools, and the G eel one: Orphanage Of late .\ears their sphere has giadualiv widened They ha\e now charge of West and \mlh Melbourne schools, and last Sunday his Grace the Archbishop blessed and opened a fine High School at Noitli Melbourne, ol which the Rev Brother Hogan is ihe piimipal The North Melbourne community have also charge of the Cult on .school In time, the whole ol the suburban boys' schools will be under their control.