Today -100: May 14, 1921: Of respected commas, spikes, and measurements

In Parliament, Lloyd George calls for fair play in Upper Silesia, saying Poles don’t have a historical claim on the region and didn’t win their own freedom during the War, rather it was won for them by the Allies even while many Poles serving in the German military shot at them, so “Poland above all lands ought to respect every comma in the Treaty of Versailles.” He says the Poles in Silesia only through about fighting for their “freedom” once the Germans were disarmed. He suggests that the Polish government, rather than denying any responsibility for the actions of Adalbert Korfanty, should follow Italy’s example in (eventually) dealing with Poet-Aviator d’Annunzio.

Nominations are made for the Southern Irish Parliament. Only Sinn Féin nominates any candidates for the 124 of the 128 constituencies (the other 4 are 4 pro-Union types selected for Trinity College Dublin), with no opponents. Since the SFers will refuse to take the oath to the king (half are in prison anyway, many of the rest on the lam), the Southern Parliament is effectively dead. Among those nominated: Éamon de Valera, Michael Collins, Mary MacSwiney, sister of Terence, the Cork lord mayor who died in prison from a hunger strike, and his brother Sean, “who recently escaped from Spike Island internment camp,” because OF COURSE there’s a Spike Island internment camp.

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