IRISH PROBLEM.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17103, 26 March 1921, Page 9

IRISH PROBLEM.

DEBATE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS. THE GOVERNMENT' S POLICY. (Br Cable—Press Association—CopyngSi) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, March 23. It is understood that Cabinet has fixed April 19th, under tho Irish Government Bill, for tho electitjn of tho Irish Parliaments. In the House of Commons, during a general Irish debate, 3lr Asquith said the situation was seriously aggravated by the policy of tho Executive Government during the last six months. Tho methods of the Executive had in a romarkable degree alienated popular sympathy from those engaged in enforcing the law. Let the Government, with tho approach of Easter, call a truce, and without laving down impossible conditions, get hack to tho atmosphere which prevailed at Christmas. He did not believe the Irish people were bent upon a separate independent republic, and he considered that the exhibition of a generous spirit would meet a corresponding spirit on the other side. Mr Lloyd George, replying to Mr Asquith, announced that the Government were making arrangements for the holding of elections in North and South Ireland in May. He said it was not fair to sav that the Government's policy had failed because they had not put down tho rebellion in six months. Air Asquith himself had failed to do this after the fiaster Rebellion in 1016, though ho had .deported thousands of Irishmen and executed others. Tho Government would have succeeded much sooner if Mr Asquith had not encouraged Irishmen in rebellion. The British Government could not agree to separate independence for the Irish Republic. Tho real reason for there being no negotiations was because there was no Irish leader who had the moral courage to say lie was going to abandon this claim. It would bo fatal for us if Ireland got into the hands of an enemv.

Mr Lloyd George recalled Mr J. H. Thomas's" assertion that the Mallow shootings occurred the day after King's murder. Enquiry had proved that assertion untrue, but the storv had gone throughout'lreland, the-United States, and France, and possibly Australasia. "I do not know,", he said, "whether m'y contradiction will ever appear. All attacks which discredit the-military and tho police are circulated broadcast over the whole world. It is idle to talk of fair play for these people.". Mr J. IT. .Thomas (Labour, Derby) and Mr T. P. O'Connor (Nationalist, Liverpool) urged tho Premier to tnlce his courage in both hands and tell the Irish people the conditions on which he was prepared to crive them absolute eelf-governraent without the coercion of Ulster.

THE NORTHEKN PARLIAMENT. (Received Mnreli 25th. 11.5 p.nO LONDON, March 24. According to the "Freeman's Journal," the Sinn Fe.inrrs and the _ Nationalists have arrived at n provisional agreement to present a united front against the Carsonites in the election for the Ulster Parliament, but rone of their successful candidates will take their seats.. SINN FEIN, WAR. , NUMEROUS AMBUSHES. LONDON, March 23. Three hours' desperate fighting followed the ambush of a police patrol at Dingle, Co. Kerry, Eight civilians were wounded, but not seriously. A police patrol was ambushed in the mountains, oiis;ht miles from' Westporfc. Sergeant Coghlan was killed, and two officers wounded. , ■ Police and military searching for wanted men in the Blarney district, were attacked from a farm outhouse. Six civilians were shot dead in a running fight, lasting an hour, at Lispole. Oirie policeman was killed and five wounded. Five Sinn Feiners wore captured, but escaped. The Crown forces attempted to encircle the ambushers, but failed. _ Two hundred rebels ambushed o party of the Ninth Lancers, who were proceeding from Stokestown to Longford for rations. Captain Peak was killed, and all the members of the party were wounded. Tho attackers secured arms and ammunition. Apprehending damage to the Ola Trafford Ground. Manchester, m view of to-day's semi-final of tho English Football Association's Cup -tie, armed policemen patrolled* the ground About midnight, Constable Carr challenged three-men in the vicinity of the ground,' upon which several revolver shots wcrp fired without wounding anybody. The men- bolted. , The police scoured the district, ana arrested Patrick Fennell, a young Irish, mail, who was in bed when he was apprehended. He was charged with attempted murder, and remanded. The police gave evidenoe that tney found Sinn Fein badges and emblems on the prisoner. , m A man fired on a crowd which was witnessing a loyalist funeral at Belfast. A woman was killed. LONDON. March 24. Fifty Republicans ambrislied a patrol of five Royal Irish Constabulary. Two constables y were killed, but reinforcements from Cloghcen came up and captured 30 of the rebels. It is calculated that the deaths during five days' fighting in Ireland exceed 80. An official statement says the casualties at Stokestown were an officer ancl a soldier dead, three soldiers and a policeman wounded, and two policemen nu33Reinforcements captured two re Tiho Chief Justice of Ireland granted a conditional habeas corpus order in the case 3 of O'Sullivan, Mooro, and O'Leary and three others. The applicants argued that the court-marti.il had no jurifSiction. Counsel pointed out that three of the men were due to die on Saturday. The Chief Justice remarked that nobody would be executed in that county in face of the Court's order. The Cork Corporation has appealed to Mr Llovd George against the execution of 6'Sullivan, Moore, and O'Leary, which is fixed for Saturday, as being "absolutely against,all tho laws of civi.feed warfare." • Viscount Curzon, in the House or Commons, stated that 533 barracks and courthouses were destroyed in Ireland during 1920. ATTACK ON CORK GAOL. (Received Mardh 25th, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 24. A force of the Republican Army surrounded Cork gaol last night, and made a desperate but unsuccessful attempt to liberate the prisoners. The rebels first seized the Post. Office and imprisoned tho staff, together with. 100 persons found in the streets near the prison. They placed a guard over tihe building* instructing the occupants to lie on tne floor when the firing began. The Republicans then scaled the walla of the gaol and dropped rope ladders into the yard. One political prisoner, seeing a ladder, made a dash for liberty, but was recaptured. Finding their plan was fizzling out, the Republicans dispersed. MILITARY REPRISALS.

(Received March 25t)h, 11.5 pjm.) • LONDON, March 24. As a reprisal for the Dungarvon ambush, the military levied a fin©<of £IOO

on Bre hoosei, threatening, ui default of payment, the destruction of tho furniture. One house paid the fine, and in tiho remaining cases" tho threat was carried out. Louis D'Arcy, one of the Republican commandants, was shot dead at Oranmoro while attempting to escape from custody.