T.P O’CONNOR had already sat 34 years in the House of Commons, was the founder and owner of several newspapers and other publications in London. He was to remain in the House of Commons for another 15 years until his death in 1929, as the Father of the House and was England’s first Film Censor.
C.P. Scott had been a Liberal MP from 1895 until 1906 and had been Editor of the Manchester Guardian since 1872. He remained Editor throughout his time as an MP, indeed for 57 years from 1872 to 1929, and was the paper’s owner from 1907 until his death in 1932.
O’Connor was first elected for the Home Rule Party for Galway in 1880 and stood in 1885 both for that Constituency and for the Scotland Constituency of Liverpool in 1885. Winning both seats he chose Liverpool and sat as a Home Rule Irish Nationalist. All other Liverpool seats were held by avowed Unionists, elected in the main by anti-Catholic Orangemen.
As the Home Rulers and the Liberals were apparently agreed on Ireland, C.P. Scott and T.P. O’Connor shared their thoughts.
Scott’s Political Diaries are a goldmine for anyone interested In Britain and its Empire in the 20th Century and the wider world they continue to disturb.
A general commentary introduces the context of the meeting and the diary extracts are in italics.
“The war widened divisions within southern Ireland. On the one hand, Redmond and the Irish Nationalists believed that by fighting on the British side, Irishmen would win self-government by gratitude. At the other extreme, the followers of Sinn Fein (the party which sought to sever all links with Britain and establish an independent Ireland) regarded Britain as Ireland’s enemy and oppressor, and favoured a German victory. One who took this view was Sir Roger Casement. formerly a renowned British consular official, now a fanatical convert to the cause of Irish independence.
Outwardly Ireland remained loyal. But the disappointing rate of Irish recruiting suggested that much of the country was not whole-heartedly behind Redmond’s party.”
Scott reports-
“Later had an hour and a half with O’Connor in his flat……I asked him about Casement and the treasonable Irish weekly press – the ‘Irish Volunteer’ and others. As to Casement he set him down as ‘mad and bad’ and he was open to prosecution on either score should he venture again on English or Irish soil which he understood it was his intention to do.
As to the treasonable press their attacks were directed primarily against the Nationalist party and only secondarily against Great Britain . He had no doubt (and Bugger All Evidence?) they were subsidised by German money through America. They were largely distributed gratis……
The simplest plan was to proceed by martial law and seize the presses and lay the persons responsible by the heels. The question was whether it would be better to give these gentry a ‘straight tip’ to make themselves scarce and so get them out of the way”
GENTLEMEN OF THE LIBERAL PRESS – HOW ARE YEH?
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