A CHANGE OF TONE

New Zealand Tablet, 10 February 1916, Page 55

A CHANGE OF TONE

The Glasgow Evening Times of December 4 contained a remarkable leading article, dealing with the part which Ireland ; is playing in the present war. \ This paper, which is the evening edition of the Glasgow" Herald, has long been noted for its bitterly anti-Irish sentiments, and it was one of the papers which gave somewhat undue prominence recently to the emigration of what it now correctly terms ‘ a negligible number of young Irishmen.’ Its tribute to the work of Ireland is, therefore, noteworthy evidence of the saner .view which the Unionist press of Great Britain is now beginning to take of the Irish question, and gives some ground for hope that the Scottish press will, in the future, be more in harmony with the mass of the Scottish people in its opinions on this question. The article points out that the triumph of the Allies would be for the advantage of Ireland as well as for that of the rest of the world. * A contrary decision would,’ it says, ‘mean elimination of the national hopes, ideals, and aspirations.’ This sentence is particularly worthy of notice, since it appears to indicate that the Evening Times has become reconciled to the Home Rule policy, and as it can scarcely be imagined that the morning issue is at variance with the evening paper in its opinions on the subject, we {Catholic Times) feel justified in assuming that these two papers, at least, will not in, future subscribe to those false ‘Unionist’ doctrines which have been, in the past, so fruitful of disunion between the sister islands. This change of policy can, of course, be easily understood by anyone who has watched the remarkable change of opinion which has been produced in Ireland by the passage of the Home Rule Act. As the Evening Times article says, ‘ Thousands of Irishmen have come from our self-governing colonies thousands of Irishmen were in the Army at the beginning of the war. They are to be found not only in Irish regiments, but in almost every regiment in the British Army. When the war broke out, Lord Kitchener asked, for his new Army, a contribution of 5000 men from Ireland. The response has been magnificent, there having been raised and sent to the front a new army of 100,000 men. Recruiting continues brisk, and any wastage at the front is promptly repaired. The Irish are justly celebrated for their fighting qualities, and their conduct in this war has fully sustained the splendid traditions of the race. There are many Michael O’Learys in the regiments of “Old Ireland.” These men ax;e lending additional brilliancy to the lustre of the great shield of Empire, and the Empire in its turn is grateful to the men of the “Green Isle” who are supporting the crusade on behalf of freedom and civilisation. It is well tb<> + these facts should be widely known. They will assist in enabling many people to regain the true perspective of events, a perspective that has been temporal thrown out of alignment by an incident that can be profitably consigned to oblivion.’