IRELAND

Evening Star, Issue 17327, 15 April 1920, Page 4

IRELAND

STRIKE FAIRLY GENERAL. EXCEPT IN ULSTER. BELFAST DOCKERS OUT. Pxess Association—By Telegraph—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. _ LONDON, April 15. Ine Trade Unions in Belfast and the North of Ireland generally have ignored the strike order. April 14. All the dockers at Belfast are out oa strike. Symptoms resembling the Dublin con* ditions are reported from Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Wexford, Tipperary, and many other "entres. Apart from the North, the one day strike in Ireland appears to be general. Trains trams, and mails are stopped, and hotels* snaps, schools, and markets are closed. The Punches town races have been postponed. The stoppage is complete in Dublin. The crowds '.are wandering aimlessly «n the streets. Special military precautions are being taken near the .Mountjoy Prison, including tanks and machine guns. Crowds assembled in the vicinity of the gaol, but were kept at a distance by a line of fixed bayonets and by policemen armed with automatic pistols. The only incident of the morning was due to the arrest of a youth who was distributing leaflets appealing to the troops. The crowd became excited, but the soldiers warningly levelled their bayonets.

The notorious Captain White (son of Field-Marshal Sir George White); who w-as conspicuous in the Labor riots of 1914, attempted to address the troops and was arrested.

Mr Darrell Figgis, the author, addressed the crowd, appealing to them to disperse. During the morning the searchlights at Dublin Castle practised lighting up Mountjoy, apparently in readiness for to-night. »

A Sinn Fein and Labor deputation cortupelled three banks in Carricb-on-Suil (County Tipperary) to close.

THE HUNGER STR&ERS. DEBATE IN THE COMMONS. DUBLIN FEVERISHLY EXCITED. LONDON, April 13. lu the House of Commons Mr T. P. O’Connor emphasised' the gravity of tho condition of the hunger strikers in the Mountjoy Prison, who should be treated as political prisoners. If the strikers died the effect upon ’ the already inflamed people would be deplorable. Mr Clynes, in supporting Mr O’Connor, warned the Government of the danger of tho labor action in Ireland spreading te this country. The Irish Attorney-General (Mir D. S, Henry, K. C.) urged that the arrests were in accordance with law. The men were simply attempting to commit suicide. Ameliorative treatment for convicted prisoners had been demanded, but Lord French had no power to give it. Untried prisoners were treated under special rules. They would certainly bo tried if possible, but the necessary witnesses were not procurable owing to the terrorism which was exercised in Ireland. He defended the use of the military, as the 10,000 constabulary were no longer able to maintain order. By the use of the military largo stores of explosives which otherwise could not have been traced had been captured, and thus a rising in different parts of tho country had been prevented. Mr Bonar Law emphasised the fact that there was no possibility of a change in the Government's decision. The. Government must resist terrorism and arrest suspects. Tho Government must also resist their subsequent release because their attempted suicide threatened to mate the maintenance of law and order impossible. LONDON, Apvli 13. (Received April 15, at 9.40 a.m.) The Irish hunger strike has been prolonged indefinitely. The Acting Lord Mayor of Dublin was r. fused admission to Mountjoy Prison, but received an official bulletin stating: “ All the prisoners are in a very weak state, and anything may happen in tha next 24 hours.” The Acting Loi’d Mayor then telegraphed to Mr J. 1. Macpherson, pointing out that Dublin was feverishly excited, and appealing to him to intervene immediately' in the interests of peace and humanity. He also wired a similar appeal to thei American Ambassador in London. HUNGER-STRIKING. GOVERNMENT WILL NOT YIELD. MURDER DEMANDS A FIRM POLICY. LONDON, April 13. Mr Bonar Law. in the House of Commons, said that the prisoners in Mountjoy Prison were being treated as untried pnsoncis. It was a matter for the Irish Administration, but the Government had l the fullest confidence in their officials. Murder was so rife in Ireland arid evidence was so difficult to obtain that it became necessary to arrest on suspicion. The Government had no intention to alter their course. The House would deplore suicide by hunger strike, but the danger of suicide would only be increased if the prisoners were led to hope that the Government would alter their action. . LONDON, April 13. The Irish strike has rendered idle 250,003 people. ' The chairman and secretary of the Irish Trade Union Congress in a manifesto announce tho continuance of the strike. 1 her are appealing to citizens to preserve order. The proclamation states: ” Today’s demonstration impressed the world. Let nothing happen on our part to give the military occasion ’ for an outbreak ot violence.”

A crowd of 20,000 people demonstrated outside Mountjoy Prison. The belief was expressed that their prayers are keeping the prisoners alive; but several are in a state of collapse. - The Irish brihops at a meeting at Dublin passed a resolution drawing attention to the fact that an appalling tragedy seem* to be imminent, and if disaster ensues from , this insensate course the responsibility must rest on the Government, who have substituted cruelty, vengeance, and gross injustice for equity, moderation, and fair play.