Edward Dunne, an early 20th century Chicago mayor and Illinois governor, pushed for an independent Ireland

Having been mayor of Chicago and governor of Illinois, Edward F. Dunne went to France in 1919 to bug President Woodrow Wilson about Ireland. Wilson was attending the Paris Peace Conference that was drafting a treaty to end World War I. In an address to Congress the previous year, Wilson stressed “14 Points” for a just and lasting peace. One theme was self-determination for minority populations. Dunne was there to argue that the Irish were among those so entitled, and he was getting the runaround. “Mr. Walsh and Mr. Dunne...