IRELAND

Evening Star, Issue 17234, 26 December 1919, Page 4

IRELAND

LORD FRENCH'S ESCAPE. NO ARRESTS MADE. SIGNIFICANT VERDICT AT INQUEST. Press Association—By Telegraph—Oopyrigfct. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, December 22. The latest police inquiries show that Lord French's assailants were able to gather at the cross road at Ashtown without attracting the notice of the police, owing to a racquets court at the back of a public-house near the station. A number of Sinn Feinera spent Friday morning playing racquets. The arrival of trains could easily be seen from the court. The police on duty on the station, therefore, took no particular notice of the loiterers, though they recollected afterwards that five men had been prominent. These evidently intended to wheel out the farm cart into the middle of the road as Lord French's car approached at full speed. If the car crashed into the cart they would have bombed and wrecked the motor car. Fortunately, the train was three minutes early, and the cart was got only partly across the road. In their hurry the men fired and threw 'bombs wildly. There is'no truth in the story that Lord French fired upon his attackers. Wdlliam Kirk, a grocer in Dublin, who employed Martin Savage (the Sinn Feiner who was killed) 1 , informed the police that Savage, who lived with him, was quite an exemplary yotmg manf and he had not expressed extreme views He was a staunch Roman Oatholio, and was regular in carrying out his religious duties. He left the store on a 'hicycle at 11 o'clock on the morning of the attack, saying that he wanted to consult a doctor.^' The police have ascertained that Savage participated in the rebellion of Easter, 1916, as a lieutenant in the Irish Volunteers, and helped to hold the Law Courts against the military. The jury at the Dublin inquest found that Savage died as the result of a military escort's bullet, and added: "We beg to tender our sympathy with the deceased's relatives." There is _ little hope of catching the other assassins. Ninety-nine out of every 100 Nationalist Irishmen would harbor them and assist them to escape. Lord French, in replying to congratulations from the townspeople of Wallasey, says t " You may rest assured that this band of assassins who are bringing disgrace on my native land will not deter mo from the work of restoring law and order, which are the elementary essentials of true Democracy. Lord French has driven in an open carriage through Dublin, in fulfilment of his promise to attend an entertainment at Bails Bridge on behalf of the police benevolent fund. THE CHURCH'S ATTITUDE. ARCHBISHOP .WALSH'S LETTER. LONDON, December 22. A letter written by Archbishop Walsh of Dublin, R.C. Primate of Ireland, was read in the churches. It savs, in effect, that murder is murder, and therefore is a mortal sin, but must not be denounced too rigorously for fear that the denunciations be understood in a political sense. Archbishop Walsh, the Dean of Dublin, says: " The attempted assassination of the Viceroy, which startled and shocked the city, calls for the melancholy protest of eveiy Irishman who loves his country and who hopes to see present rule by a coercive Government brought to a final close. Is there any rational man capable of deceiving himself into the belief that such a method of seeking redress for the misgovemment of Ireland is likely to help the efforts of righteous men who are working earnestly with the single purpose of re-establishing in the country a reign of liberty and justice? Many among us are old enough to remember the feeling with which, nearly 40 years ago, all Ireland heard of the murders at Phcenix Park. It was the vain hope of the actors in that awful tragedy that thev were making the future government of Ireland impossible. The result of the wrong course of 40 years ago was that the prospect of reform, such as it then was, became far dimmer instead of brighter, and Ireland was brought under a systernSof coercion the like whereof we must allliope and pray we will never be condemned to again." While Archbishop Walsh's letter condemning the outrage on Lord French was being read in the churches copies of the Archbishop's letter subscribing £lO5 to the New York Irish National Fund were being distributed outside.

PRESS OPINION.

DUBLIN PAPER WRECKED,

_ LONDON, December 22. The newspaper 'lrish Independent,' the office of which has since been wrecked called the attack on Lord French a deplorable outrage, immoral, un-Christian, and abnorrent to the community, and added : "It was a deliberate murder, which reflects discredit upon the country." Those who raided the office informed the editor of tno ' Independent' that Savage was a nigh-souled youth, who has riven his hfe to rid Ireland of the chief representative of British tyranny. • The newspaper was going to press, when a party oi eight civilians entered . The caretaker at first thought them friends of the staff, but was disabused when revolvers were produced. Other Sinn Feiners held the door and held up the workers in al ' ° e P£ r V nentß « including the sub-editors while thefr comrades earned out the work of destruction and cut the paper's private wire to London. Ulster is profoundly stirred by the ou£ rage on Lord French. Lead! i i Unionists say nothing will now inches the loyalists k. place themselves under domination of men guilty of such horrors. dent states that Ireland is shocked at the attempt to assassinate the Viceroy' Ad usual, the comment is : "I told you so " » The yorst feature of the situation is the blunting of the nation's moral sense STi« ?. d ? y Ex P resß ' states that the authorities be ieve that Sinn Fein is linked np with an international crime organic tion. Sensational revelations are pronged regarding the loss of funds. HOME RULE BILL. THE COMMONS DEBATE. In the Commons debate on the introd™ tion of the Home Rule Bill Sir■ DoriaM Maclean (Leader of the Non-CoaHtion Lib erals) said he welcomed.the absence of further coercion, repression, or any idea of vengeance He believed that Ireland hood if the horrors of a ead past were brusned aside He urged settlement alonj the lines adopted in South Africa • Sir Edward Carson said that'he regretted that the Constitutional National' u>te were absent. He was still as flrmly convmced as ever that a united Parliament was best for the United Kingdom and for Ireland. He believed that BriK would make a mistake in the eyes of foreign nations if she proceeded as if Ireland possessed no political freedom The British—indeed, they had even jrreaW nghts. Sir Edward Carson appeal d £ to retain Ulster in the United Kingdom Parliament. Mr Henderson (Labor) said "that the greater the delay in reaching a settlement the greater would be the danger. emeut