IRELAND

Evening Star, Issue 17085, 2 July 1919, Page 6

IRELAND

AMERICAN INQUIRIES. CHIEF SECRETARY INTERVIEWED. MR MACPKERSON HOPEFUL. CONDmONSniPROYIXG. Fran Association —By Telegraph—Copyright: Australian and N-Z. Cable Association. (Delayed in Transmission.) NETS’” YORK, Juno 27. (Received July 2, at 8.65 a.m.) The ‘New Tort World’s’ Dublin correspondent has interviewed Mr J. I. Macpherson (Chief Secretary- for Ireland). The correspondent naked: “ Does not the Administration wait until the last moment before suppressing popular meetings, and thus is compelled to disperse the populace ■with the military?” Mr Macphcrson answered ; “ Sometimes, although that is unfortunate; but these meetings were certain to be marked by seditious speaking. We do not suppress meetings at which w© have first been assured that seditions utterances won’t be made. The Orange lodges do not indulge in seditious speaking or advocate murder and outrages. People will not be molested if they obey the law.” Mr Macpbersou further stated: “ Ireland’s material prosperity was never before so good- The Sinn Fein movement is waning. I believe in Home Rule, but the Sinn Fsiaers demand an Irish Republic. The Homo Rule Act, .which will come before PaxEament six months after peace, does not seem popular in Ireland. I believe ctmditkma in Ireland we better. There now seems ’a desire to proceed toward reform on constitutional lines.” DE VALERA’S MISSION. NEW YORK. June 26 (delayed). De Valera, in a statement, pointed out (that Ireland was bound by the Peace Treaty. Ha said he had sent a letter to M. Clonienceau, declaring that, since Mr Lloyd George did not represent the Irish people, they would not consider the treaty vtalid. A PARTY COUNTER. NEW YORK, June 26 (delayed). The ‘New York Times’s 1 Washington correspondent reports that Senator Phelan, speaking on the Senate's resolution concerning Ireland, said: “It is an attempt by the Republicans to embarrass the President. There is little expectation among the Republicans of ailing the Irish cause. It is claimed that the President’s policy of self-determination should bo applied to Ireland, but the Republicans refuse to understand that the Peace Conference confined itself to applying self-determination only to those nationalities arising out of the war.”