could conceivably entail; but we do not claim, as a consequence, to control the Executive of Belgium and remove her Parliament to Westminster, in order to be quite sure that the Belgians are not intriguing against us with Germany.  Germany, our alarmists fear, is to invade Ireland, and Ireland is to greet the invaders with open arms.  The same prophecy was being made not more than three years ago of the South African Dutch.  After asking for a century and a half to manage her own affairs, the Irish are not likely to ask to be ruled by Germans.  The German strategists are men of common sense.  If they were fortunate enough to gain the command of the sea, they could make no worse mistake than to dissipate their energies on Ireland.

Perhaps it is a waste of time to attempt to destroy these foolish myths.  Let those that are sceptical about the effect of Home Rule in producing friendlier feelings between Ireland and Great Britain consider in a reasonable spirit the commonplace question of mutual interests.  What is the really practical significance of Ireland’s proximity to England?  This, that their material interests are indissociably intertwined.  If it is “safe,” as the phrase goes, to entrust Australia with Home Rule, surely it is safer still to entrust Ireland with it.  Has Ireland anything to gain by separation?  Clearly nothing.  Has she anything to lose?  Much.  Most of her trade is with Great Britain.  British credit is of enormous value to her.  The Imperial forces are of less proportionate value to her because her external trade is small; but she willingly supplies a large and important part of their personnel; she shares in their glorious traditions; and if it is a case of protection for her trade, she will get no protection elsewhere.

How idle are these calculations of profit and loss!  The truth is that Ireland has taken her full share in winning and populating the Empire.  The result is hers as much as Britain’s.  Mr. Redmond spoke for his countrymen last May[39] in saying:  “We, as Irishmen, are not prepared to surrender our share in the heritage [that is, the British Empire] which our fathers created.”  That is sound sentiment and sound sense.  It is the view taken by the Colonies, where Irishmen are known, respected, and understood, and where the support for Home Rule, based on personal experience of its blessings, has been, and remains, consistent and strong.  Indeed, we miss the significance of that support if we do not realize that Irish Home Rule is an indispensable preliminary to the closer union of the various parts of the Empire.  Let us add the wider generalization that it is an indispensable preliminary to the closer union of all the English-speaking races.  It may be fairly computed that a fifth of the present white population of the United States is of Irish blood.[40] American opinion, as a whole, so far as it is directed towards Ireland and away from a host of absorbing domestic problems, is favourable to Home Rule.  Irish-American opinion