Current Topics

New Zealand Tablet, 15 May 1919, Page 14

Current Topics

The Tactics of the N:Z. Pressmen With reference* to the resolution in favor of selfgovernment for Ireland, proposed' at . Napier, on c St. Patrick’s Day, Messrs Dolan and Keenan addressed to the local representative of the ! Press Association a complaint that the ; resolution ‘ had been suppressed : ; - ' “We have been , requested . by 'Home , Rulers throughout Hawke’s Bay to inquire if there was any particular reason for suppressing the report of the local resolution. It is felt, and we think you will admit that there is justice in the opinion, that slanderous sectarian accusations made by the most bigoted fanatics . are readily circulated by the Association, with incalculable effects of animosity and hatred between citizens who should dwell together in concord and good fellowship.” Messrs. Dolan and Keenan did well to call attention to tactics of this sort, which are by no means confined to Napier. ... The New Zealand journalists are certainly guilty of co-operating with Lloyd George and the adventurer Northcliffe in deliberately calumniating Ireland and withholding the truth about her cause. Indeed it would be hard to point out a single daily paper that has not offended truth and justice in this regard. One can only say that it is a well-merited retribution that the daily press of the Dominion is held' in such contempt by men of sound views. One other incident will help to shew how low the editors and their underlings have fallen. Recently in Dunedin a returned soldier delivered an interesting lecture on his experiences. He went, out of his way .to pay a striking tribute to the Catholic hero, Father Dore, who gave his life for his men. The Otago Daily Times published the reference to. the brave chaplain, but when the report of the Times was copied into two other papers—one a daily and the other a weekly— the name of Father Dore and the tribute of praise paid to him were carefully omitted. It would seem that to pay any respect to a dead Catholic hero who was loved by the men as no chaplain of any other Church was would be bad business in the opinion of certain editors. What these gentlemen have done in this instance is very much akin to the tactics of the spouter who did his No-Popery bit by calumniating a dead nun. The action of the editors of the daily and the weekly to which we refer was quite as low and as cowardly as the ghoul’s. Can we expect justice for Ireland from men who will not do justice to the dead even to the dead that died fighting for worthless creatures like the verbose Hunhaters who stayed at home and stirred a up strife while Father Dore and others faced death? To pander to low bigotry by the omission in question .was the meanest and vilest piece of press-blackguardism that ever came under our notice. It teaches us that it is vain to expect ordinary decency from the same quarters.. Peace Terms . . According to the cables, the clauses of the Peace Treaty compel Germany to renounce all her territorial rights outside of Europe, to disarm her fortifications, and suppress her air forces. The German Fleet and land forces are to be made negligible, the Kaiser to be given up for trial, all damages to be repaid (sic), and territory surrendered, to Poland, Denmark, France, and Belgium. Another cable gives us in some detail several reparation clauses, as follows; ; r Article I.—That Germany shall be responsible for all losses and damages of the Allies and their nationals due to the war. iU mjvig .£>o' --v, ; Article 2. —The Allies admit- that German resources are insufficient to meet; all such claims, but require Germany to compensate for all damages suffered by civilians through German aggression by j land and seat. ; .iil b;-a‘■ -XL -Li!; mis >;aigh ••-.uqrD -of £jr !o Article 3.—-The Inter- Allied . Commission D will j fix the amount of damages for which compensation must be

paid, and will report the same to Germany by May- 1, 1921, announcing at the ' same time' the ■' total claims which Germany must meet, and the scheme of the payments; which are to : be made over a period of 30 years thereafter. r Article s.Stipulates 1 that Germany : must, before May 1, : -' 1921, ! pay a thousand i; million : ‘ sterling (£1,000,000,000) in gold, goods, and ships and the first charge on this sum will be the cost of the armies of occupation and of the supplies forwarded to Germany to enable her to meet her obligations. ’ • . ,r Article 6.— Germany is to restore all property taken in invaded territory. 1 —■ Article 10.— Germany is to defray the cost of the Inter-Allied Commission, granting members- the usual diplomatic privileges and every facility. ' rlr n: - A second annexe, relating to the functions of the Inter-Allied Commission, requires Germany to issue immediately and surrender to the Commission ,£1,000,000,000 worth of Treasury bearer-bonds as a guarantee that the first instalment (in gold, goods, and ships) will be payable before May 1, ' 1921 also a further issue of bonds for £2,000,000,000 immediately, and £2,000,000,000 at a date to be fixed, the ruling rate of interest to be 5 per cent. Let us recall that President Wilson insisted that there should be no talk of crushing Germany, and that Lloyd George, in some of his utterances, was of the same mind. The President made it clear that America did not come into the war to destroy Germany, but rather to save her. Further, we have had from more than one English statesman warnings that the furious demands of- the Jingoes were likely to lead to greater evils than a wisely moderate policy. Our Press says that the Peace Demands are heavy and humiliating. We do not agree that they are either. The cost of the war per day would amount in a year to more than - the total amount exacted by the terms, and moreover it is clearly stated that payment may be made in ships, shipbuilding, and coal. Considering the resources of Germany, even £5,000,000,000 does not seem to us an exorbitantly severe sum for the Allies to demand. Mr. Stead estimated that the daily expenditure on the war amounted to £33,990,000, of which the Allies spent £20,500,000, or £9,572,000,000 a year in round numbers —a sum compared with which the ' indemnity in money and goods proposed by the Peace Terms is certainly _ not enormous. The proposals regarding German territory are (on paper) drastic, but we must wait and see how far the account is reliable. Besides, it should not be forgotten that this estimate is drawn up not by a neutral and impartial Power, but by interested persons, many of whom are frankly out for plunder and profiteering. Germany has still to speak, and as there is at least one man in Paris who will see that the settlement is based on grounds of justice, we have yet to learn the minimum demands of the Allies and the maximum to which Germany will agree. It would be very foolish to conclude, as some of our journalists have already done, that Germany will submit tamely to whatever the Allies choose to impose on, her. If she should refuse we must remember Lord Milner’s warning about what would happen were she driven into the arms of the Bolshevists. ' The Meek Shall Possess the Earth Now that the champions of small nations are busy dividing (on paper) their spoils which, contrary to all their protests during the war, they , pledged themselves to obtain when they lied at the hustings, let us' consider what Champion John Bull, with his iron heel on Erin’s head, is going to receive,for his immaculate disinterest-, edness and his noble efforts to secure for all peoples the right of self-determination. A cable recently pub- , lished sets forth as follows John’s reward ; — , , V , (1) A great and rising Power , of Europe will be ; disarmed and stripped. ~.- V/iy /i-coi/ ' bar ”-' • ' I (2) Unprecedented . naval supremacy ' and, the' f German . Fleet destroyed. ,a ■ aVs 5b

£iiir.(3) i A vast trade, opportunity in a market r that has heretofore. been .• alien. hr* - ''Mha'x'hft-ia'v'a e’m'TO.b ibjfj 'm : a (4) j A close entente with America,, and ancient misunderstandings removed. (Who said “I don’t think (5) Wonderfully fertile territories in Mesopotamia, Basra - and Baghdad, now ,sprouting into new life under irrigation. sdidns,' rq ; d'o’o,o*>6.'OOiXTl . (6) Entry into and dominance in Persia. ~ (7) A recognised protectorate over Arabia and Southern Syria. (8) A protectorate over Egypt, with control over the strategic approach to Palestine, which becomes a Zionist State under Britain. (9) An outlet for Hindu labor in East Africa, a rich territory requiring only the destruction of pests. . (10) Cessation of the Japanese fomentation of ■unrest in India. (11) South-West Africa, rich in minerals and suitable for big cattle runs. \ (12) The Pacific Islands. (13) Shipping, money, and compensation. - Verily, to him that hath it, shall be given ! The selfish, Tory .-Orange clique, the Plutocrats who could trade with 'Germany and hold British jobs in war-timer the sharpers who profited by the “Dope” business and the “Marconi” scheme are reaping the fruits of their well-laid plans. What does it matter ? A hireling press and unscrupulous, unprincipled journalists have told us how clean our hands are and how pure our motives, and a gullible public swallowed their lies avidly for four years. The press propaganda was well paid for its dirty work. Perhaps there will be more clippings for it now when the.spoils are being divided. However, there is another side to the medal. In Paris the men avlio fought are watching the machinations of the champions of small nations and the friends of Democracy —watching and waiting until the time comes for them to speak. Several millions of men who, in the words of Cecil Chesterton, have been accustomed to handle arms and to face death daily are coining home to the British Empire. Will they not want to know what has been done for Democracy and why the warpledges of political tricksters are set aside? A British peer has uttered a warning that there is trouble ahead for the, pledge-breakers, that a greater menace than even the World War may have to be faced. The jobbers are intent on the reward for which they plotted. A reward more in accord with their works may follow later. With their eyes bent on the map, with their minds intent on figures, it is little wonder that they are blind to the dark clouds that gather on the horizon, imminent and big with peril chiefly to them. So blind are. they that they talk of an American alliance while millions, of Americans are raising angry voices day after day against the people who have put a brand of shame on the whole of the Allies by their criminal oppression of Ireland. An American alliance? Yes, but not of the kind these people Avant. President Wilson and Ireland The movement for Irish freedom grows apace in the United States. As days go by, State after State falls into line demanding that the Irish people be granted the right of self-determination. By 216 votes to 41 the House of Representatives, Washington, on March 11, passed the following, resolution: “Resolved that it is the earnest hope of the Congress of the United States that the Peace Conference no ; _ sitting at, Paris in passing upon the rights of various .peoples Will favorably consider the claims of Ireland to the right of self-determination.” V ; Nearly all the individual State Legislatures have followed suit. Massachusetts, Missouri, Illinois, Pennsylvania, .v. Wisconsin,’ Montana, New Jersey,. New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, and Ohio have signified their will that the President, as spokesman for the American people, shall see that justice is done to .Ireland. Montana goes so far as to assert that the . president's Fourteen I ’Points are looked upon as a binding contract by the American people ' and that' he is ex-

pected to stalJdlby . Kg'*' forX.irisli'slelfMetermination. pected to stand by them for Irish self-determination. The petition of the Democratic members of Massachusetts says to the President':— “In response,, to your expressed desire s that you wished to be the spokesman of the .whole American people at' the / Peace' ‘ Conference, we request you to plead for justice, freedom, and right for Ireland.” ; , He is reminded that America , went into the war to" safeguard all small nations,and that . thousands ,of Irishmen flocked to the colors because of his, solemn pledge that he would'see that, justice was done, no matter whose selfish interest’was crossed. He has a clear mandate from , the United States, and in face of his pledges he will go down to history as a coward and a trickster if he fails in the hour of his trial. We have all along pinned our faith, in him, and we do not waver yet, though be it said that many IrishAmericans ' are fast losing" faith in his honesty, and as days go by opposition and bitterness are growiffg against him in the Irish circles in America. . The reason for the discontent is that he has so far evaded giving a straight answer on his attitude towards Ireland, and the Irish in the United States think a straight answer is due to them. On February 22 the huge Irish Congress at Philadelphia appointed a Committee, among whom were Judge Cohalan, Judge Goff, Archbishop Dougherty, Hon. Frank Walsh, Bishop Shahan, Bishop Muldoon, and many representative Irish- Americans, to wait on Mr. Wilson. The President received them at the Metropolitan Opera House on March 4. His first act was to refuse to receive Judge Cohalan. But for the Judge’s pleading with his friends the rest would have gone away at once and refused to see Mr. Wilson. Judge Goff asked him point blank if he intended to bring the case of Ireland before the Peace Conference. The President protested that it was unwise and unfair to ask him to answer the question.- He said he understood that the arrangement made was to the effect that he was to receive the deputation and hear the arguments. : He went on to say that he was in full agreement with the aspirations of the Irish people, as expounded by Judge Goff, but that all he meant to say was that he did not want to be pressed then to state his official attitude, no matter what his personal feelings might be. He wanted to be able to act in a delicate situation as he thought best. He wished to be free to do so. Mr. Frank Walsh then spoke, telling how America went into the war only when it was made clear that the interests of small nations w r ere to be safeguarded and that for this cause alone the Irish-Americans joined the colors loyally. The President interrupted to remark that he agreed with Mr. Walsh’s argument. Mr. Walsh then went on to insist that it was the wish of millions of Irish blood in the States that the President should use his influence at the Peace Congress to secure a hearing for Ireland. Mr. Wilson said to Mr. Walsh: “You do not expect me to give an answer to this request now Mr. Walsh said he did not ask for an answer. Then, turning to Judge Goff, the President said: “I wish you to understand, Judge Goff, further, 4 that the Irish question has not yet. been presented at the Peace Conference, and those other countries are falling into our laps, as it were, on account of the breaking-up of the Powers with which we are at war, and when this case comes up I will have to .use my best’ judgment as to how to act.’’ ; "•. ■;>‘ Bishop Muldoon next addressed the ' President, telling him that as a man of Irish blood and as an American citizen, and as a disciple of the Prince of Peace above all, 1 - he firmly believed that if the Trish question were not settled there would be no settlement. If the Irish people were not given independence, things Avould be worse ;than ever on account of the. temper of the world to-day and also on -account;of the President’s own :; pronouncements. He o assured .; the President that the Irish people would never; give up striving . for their rights and that the Irish in America would go =pq - presenting • the Irish case at every? opportunity 'ho_;l ilohivr to ssij

7xli The deputation then wished the President Godspeed% on his journey and left*him?... *"" ; Have we any reason to doubt that President Wilson will prove faithless and that' all his pledges are so many scraps: of paper? The Irish leaders still hope for support from him. His secretary denied a report that he had 'said that the Irish question was a domestic concern for England. De Valera asks the Irish people to keep on trusting in President Wilson. He has clearly said that he has the cause of Ireland at heart, and that he is in agreement with the views of Judge Goff and the other speakers. For a conceivable reason he objected to give an assurance that he would interfere directly, and in that respect his attitude has aroused distrust and resentment among many Irish-Americans who expected a clear promise that the President would see that "the rights of peoples to choose their own form of government should be secured, no matter whose selfish interests are crossed." The disappointment is natural, but we hold that, all things considered, there is so far no reason to think that President Wilson will not stand by his pledges. Diplomatic .reasons may make it imprudent for him to give such a promise as he was invited to give, and it may easily be imagined that he foresees that he can help Ireland better when the occasion arises by remaining free to act as his good judgment then dictates. He is in favor of Ireland's cause; he has an extraordinary mandate from the American people to act in the matter as their spokesman; he is bound by his own pledges to do so. Consequently, though we too would rather have had a more satisfactory issue to the interview, we do not iose hope. Shane Leslie tells us that, in spite of this silence, he has it "from confidential sources" that the President is anxious that the Irish people should go on trusting him for the moment. "If we throw down Mr. Wilson as a possible friend of Ireland," writes Mr. Leslie in the Irish Worfd, "to whom shall we go? If he has seemed to fail us, we remember that he strenuously brought up the Irish. question when he first met Balfour and Lloyd George, and has not retracted what he said. The diplomatic game in Paris is so quick and shifting that there is no knowing when he might not be able to throw in the Irish card as a piece of by-play. He knows well that an Irish settlement would prelude an American triumph." His own honor, his good name before the whole world, the peace of America, justice, and truth demand his interference. We still trust that he will interfere. If we are wrong, it is only because we have taken a word-spinner for a great man. And again we submit there is not sufficient reason to discard him and to brand him as a trickster of the Lloyd George type.