IRELAND.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17019, 16 December 1920, Page 7

IRELAND.

' WAR AGAINST EXTREMISTS. CROWN'S PROCLAMATION. CQy Cable —Pr<-f = A"orint:nr.—Copyright.) ("The Time*.") LONDON, December 14. General Sir Ncvil Maeroady ("Chief of the Royal Irish Constabulary) lias issued'a proclamation requiring all arms and ammunition in the proclaimed areas in Ireland to be handed in by Dcrfembor 27th. Tho penalty for disobedience of the order will b.» death. Tlio proclamation says: Irishmen! Understand thi>! G'cat Britain lias no quarrel with Irishmen. Her solo quarrel is with crime, outrage, a®d disorder. and her sole object is to restore peace in the distracted, unhappy country. Her sole enemies are those ivho have countenanced, inspired, and participated in rebellion, murder, ;ypd outrage- It to onrc an{ l or a "» tho campaign of outrage that martial law has been declared! The proclamation is published m the name of the military governor, and announce? the death penalty for refusal to surrender arms, ammunition, and explosives, and for illegally wearing naval or military uniform. Tt- concludes : It is well known that a. state of arrned insurrection exists. A"y persons participating in this insurrection or harbouring. inviting or aiding or abetting other persons in such participation, is euilty of waging war acainst his Mniestr the G:ng : and is liable todcth. The Crown forces in Ireland are hereby declared on active service. GOVERNMENT DEFENDED. (Renter'* T'lefmnn.) LONDON, December 14. In the House of Commons Sir Hamar Greenwood (Chief Secretary for Ireland) stated that only one woman looter lost her lifo in tho Cork fires. He rend a telegram from the Lord Mayor of Cork and . Sinn Fein members of the House of Commons alleging that during the j week men and women in Ork were held up in tho streets and robbed, and unoffending citizens wero publicly whipped and shot. Tt was "believed that some wero hurnod in their houses. The telegram demanded the immediate withdrawal of tho army of occupation. Sir Hamar Greenwood said a full enquiry was proceeding. Tho signatories of the telegram had been asked to give evi-j donee under safo conduct. Dealing with tho argument that Groat B'ritnin should endeavour to '• r stand well in tho eyes of tho world as V regards Ireland, ho declared that the only part of tho world which counted in this difficult period was the part which wished Great Britain well He had yet to see any comment,,official or unofficial, from any civilised country condemning tho British Government. On the other hand ho had seen many ] communications wishing Great Britain well in one of tho most difficult tasks ever faced by a Government. He could i not imagine anything more .contompti--1 ble than yielding, at any cost, to gangs of assassins who, by murder and arson, wero endeavouring to intimidate tho nation into surrender. They wero dealing with this conspiracy fairly and fearlessly. It was unfair to attribute every burning incident in Ireland to the gallant men who had showed such splendid rostraint against nlmost intolerable provocation. All tho burnings and murdcrings wero tho logical consequences of the Sinn Foin extremist conspiracy to smash the Empire. The way to piovent tho consequences y was to uproot tho cause. LABOUR MISSION'S IMPRESSIONS. ("Tho Times.") LONDON, .December 13. The British Labour Commission has returned to Dublin. . Tho chairman, Mr Cameron, in a statement, said tho Commission's outstanding impression was I that tho papulation was in a state of I terror. Not infrequently, the Crown forces appeared to ho attempting to aohieve tneir declared purpose by terrorising tho civil population and inflicting harsh and indefensible oppression on men, women, and children not •participating in the policy of violence. Life and property seemed, almost valueless,in tho eyes of some sections of the Crown forces. The Commission will unhesitatingly express its utmost abhorrence of the criminal and ruthless spirit which dictated some of the worst acts ever committed in the name of British 'law and order. THE CORK OUTRAGE, (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Recoived December 15th, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON. D-ecomber 14. A military enquiry' into tho Cork ifres has begun. Tho suspects will be tried by "drumhead court-martial, whether soldiers or civilians. The punishment will bo of llio utmost severity if they ar«j convicted. If the fires caused loss of lifo they will be charged with murder. The Rt Hon. Dennis Henry, Attor-ney-General for Ireland, in the House of Commons, said tlio auxiliary police bad been removed. from Cork city. There was no further evidence as to h who was responsible for the fires. A General Ttidor has circularised the Irish police, stating that it is absolutely necessary to stop burnings unless tney are compelled to destroy buildings used by attackers. SBIZuiE OF MAIL MATTER. (Received Derember loth. 10.40 p.m.) LONDON, December 14. A small- party of Sinn Feiners made a daring seizure of mail matter outside the Dublin Post Office in daylight, after. »tt exchange of rifle and revolver fire with Jour soldiers in charge of the mail tor., ■ None was injured, but people in the were terrified, and flung themselves on tho ground. Tho escort ttVed tho registered packcts. HOME RULE BILL. 1 Utcccived Dfrnnhor loth. 10.40 p.m.) ] . LONDON, Drccmber 14. < •Tho House of Lords read the Home i Bale BilJ a third time. Lord Birken- < Bead promised the Government's deepWt consideration to* the amendments, s : . u, I