IRELAND AND THE ALLIES

New Zealand Tablet, 1 April 1915, Page 15

IRELAND AND THE ALLIES

MR. W. REDMOND ON THE SITUATION. Let me, as one who is here in Ireland and meeting people every day, say what I am sure is the true feeling of Ireland and of ail classes regarding the war (writes Mr. W. Redmond in; the Daily Chronicle). By every consideration of honor, sentiment, and interest, Ireland is beyond all doubt heart and soul with the Allies in their struggle against German brute force, * Let no one be deceived for a moment by statements as to Sir Roger. Casement, or anyone else, begging for ; mercy or terms for Ireland in Berlin. Ireland has authorised no one to beg for her at the Court of the Kaiser, and all statements to that end are mere weak inventions of the enemy. As if Ireland would beg for terms from the men who have outraged every rule of civilisation and religion and honor in Belgium ! Let no one believe such a thing, for it is a slander upon Irishmen. There have been some vile attempts made to have it appear that Ireland is not in full sympathy with England and the Allies in this war. . I do not know what the real object of these attemps may be, but I do know that they are false and malicious, and no one who has any real knowledge of Ireland will treat them with anything but the contempt which they deserve. Again, I say Ireland is by every consideration of honor and sentiment and interest in full sympathy with the Allies. The Interests of Ireland. Let me take the consideration of interest first. Ireland knows her interest in every direction is that Germany should not conquer. Ireland is not the despairing land it "was thirty years ago. To-day our people, broadly speaking, own'the soil. The conditions of the country in every direction have most enormously improved. The people are commencing to enjoy, in their newly-acquired security, some measure of comfort and prosperity. They feel that they have Home Rule within their grasp. Ireland has something to lose now. She knows she markets her goods in Great Britain largely, and she wants to know who would buy her produce, her cattle, and where her markets would be if Germany won. The Irish people are no fools, and when they are told by one or two utterly unrepresentative men that Germany, if she occupied Ireland, would do no harm, they are, to say the least, sceptical. They know how Germany kept her solemn word to Belgium, and they know that if the Germans set foot on the fair fields of Ireland they would not be likely to have their journey for nothing. They know the Germans would not visit us to see the Giant’s Causeway or to see Killarney. The Sea-Divided Gael. Besides all that, no Irishman worth his salt would desire to be beholden to the men who have ruined Belgium for any favor, even if it were in their power or their will to grant it. There are not many people in Ireland who have not friends and relatives in every one of the Dominions of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere. If Germany wins, these Irish people our own flesh and blood, and mostly of our faith—have their ' homes arid their property, and their very lives, in peril. Is that nothing to us in Ireland? These people all through the Empire have for more than thirty years helped us by their unfailing generosity to win all the reforms we now enjoy. Are we to sit still and see their homes and countries endangered and satisfy ourselves by saying, ‘ Oh, it is all right, Germany won’t hdrt us in Ireland’ ? . 1 One in name and one in fame is the sea-divided Gael,’ and we in Ireland can never be indifferent or neutral when we see our friends in the free lands over the sea menaced and in danger. Apart from our own kith and kin, what about these great new lands? One and all they are our friends. Five times the Parliament of Canada and twice the Parliament . of Australia have passed resolutions in favor of Home Rule. Nearly all their leading statesmen have expressed their sympathy with Ireland’s struggle for Home Rule. Are we to say to them all,

including Botha,, ‘ Oh, it is . true you helped .us in our time of need in Ireland, and we were very glad of your help, but now, when your interests are at stake, we will not lift a finger to help you, because we believe that whatever may happen to you, Germany wilLnot injur© Ireland at all’ ? ~' : V ‘ - V-A