MEN FROM IRELAND

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 89, 15 April 1918, Page 8

MEN FROM IRELAND

THE MAN-POWER BILL

CONSCRIPTION CLAUSE ADOPTED

(ADS. AND N.Z. CABLE ASSN. AND REDTEP..)

LONDON, 13th April. In the House of Commons the provisions of the Man-Power BiH continue to be keenly discussed. Practically all the members of the House of Commons available took part in the division.

An amendment exempting doctors over fifty years of age was defeated, also an amendment rendering the clergy liable to combatant service. The first clause was then carried, but Sir George Cave, Secretary of State for Home Affairs, suggested that the question of the clergy being liable for combatant service should be discussed later.

The Committee then considered tho second clause, extending conscription to Ireland.

Mr. J. C. R. Lardner (Nationalist) moved an amendment that conscription should not apply to Ireland until the Irish Parliament approved.

A iehgthy debate ensued. Mr. J. M'Veagh (Nationalist) declared that Ireland would become a shambles.

Mr. A: Henderson said he never remembered a clause so fraught with danger and disastrous consequences. Mr. Asquith said in view of the urgency and tho perils of the war situation he could not be a party to obstructing those responsible tor extricating the country from its peril. He had not in the least modified his views as to the responsibility the Government was assuming. He asked why should not a generous measure of self-government, which Mr. Lloyd George, promised, be passed without delay while preparations were being made to put compulsion in Ireland into force. He appealed to the Government to state explicitly that this would be done He believed that by this means serious trouble would be avoided.

The Right Hon. H. E. Duke ("Chief Secretary for Ireland) said the Government was determined to deal with ■ iks pledge in regard to Irish self-govern-ment in such a way as would satisfy Irish aspirations. There was no reason why the Self-Government Bill should not be on the Statute Book at an early date. The Bill would be presented and prosecuted with the greatest despatch. Nothing would be more satisfactory to the Government than to see a Parliament established at Dublin before any man joined the Colours. Mr. Devlin declared that Ireland wantei the same status and power as Australia and ' Canada. Let Mr. Duke satisfy Irish aspirations that way, leaving Ireland to decide conscription, and Ireland to! start anew a friendly relationship with Britain. If this was done, he would join the Army forthwith as a private, and persuade others to do ao. Mr. Lardner's amendment was negatived by 280 to 108.

Mr. Bonar Law, in closing tho debate, said the Government would be craven not to try to get troops from Ireland. No other constituted authority could do it, as the defence of the realm remained ■with the British Parliament. There was no validity in the Australian 'analogy. America was conscripting its citizens, and it was impossible to say America ought to do this while we should not.

The clause applying conscription to Ireland was adopted by 281 votes to 115.