Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27th, 1917. IRISH AFFAIRS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 February 1917, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27th, 1917. IRISH AFFAIRS.

iilitisii•,affairs .still' cojttinye to. give ; the -Imperial .-Government. grave ami it lias been found Accessary 16 make further arrests. There is' no doubt that the settlement of the Irish problem is the most knotty , that British states*pveu have had to face, and the Government that lays down the | reins of ofiiOe, knowing that it | h-ig. led Ireland along the paths ; of- iirosperi ty mud eternal peace, mi leave- behind it a record for , capacity that will stand the brunt of searching investigation into the other branches of its statesmanship and f. will emerge- triumphant.; from tha >ordeal.;-; The greatest trouble of all is" that Irishmen are - not agreed amongst themselves ■ ' -■ - I . ■ ' •

as to wlmt they want, A majovBy want Home Buie and-wilt he satisfied with that. The Sinn Teniers, who appear to be strong in the land, will ha-ve nothing short of independence, The Ulstermen will on no account agree to any form of legislative separation from England. To this difficulty has been added another. Ireland has- been for the past century the shuttlecock of British parties, and.as the difference between these parties has widened, . so have the two Irish policies become more antagonistic, it may be impossible so to rule Ireland as to reconcile ail her inhabitants; but tbe difficulties would be much less did the British political parties not endeavor to intensify these points of variance in order to win the support of one or other of the Irish’ parties. A conference of, representatives of the various moderate sections could surely find some via- media which would save Ireland from the fate that is always ultimately in store for the shuttlecock. Nothing has been more amazing than the way Ireland has been allowed to drift from mild disorder to downright anarchy, and yet very little endeavor has been made to find a solution. The British Government seems to seek any excuse, ’ no matter hoy/ lame it; may bo, it: avoid tackling the problem. The vacillating policy of the British Government was responsible to a great extent for the outbreak of the Sinn Fein revolt. This , weak-kneed policy dates back tc 1907, -when the lawless minority in Ireland were allowed to dominate the country. The year is a history of crimes unpunished and of-license permitted to grow from strength to strength. It was then that such societies as the Gaelic League, Sinn Fein, Ancient Order of Hibernians, The Ilepublican Brotherhood, and others of that order were allowed to become powerful centres of unrest. The aims ol these organisations were practically the'sumo —separation and an independent Parliament. It wasonly in their methods that they ■ differed.; Against ‘such malign influences in Ireland Mr Bedniond and the Nationalistbuttled gallantly, but it was an uphill tight. They had at length the satisfaction of seeing the goal of their ambition in sight, and the 1 Home Buie Act was placed on the Statu to Book. The oilier extremists in the country then began to make their pressure felt. The Ulster men threatened ymt.it Home Buie became law that there would be-civil war, and they immediately began importing arms and munitions from Germany. The British made no attempt to nip the rebellion in tbe bud, and they-'allowed the Ulster Volunteers to drill and parade and Ulster speakers to talk wildly and yet did nothing. It was only When the Nationalists began also to arm and drill that the Govern- ' meat woke up and tried to cope with the movement. -The Gorl mans were elated at the state oi a (fairs in Ireland, and considered • that the time had come to strike Britain.' The Huns erred griev- , ously, as wo all know, for tin moment that - war was declaret i with Germany Irishmen agreed it . bury the hatchet and unite foi defence against a common foe, Since then Irishmen from tin ■ North and the South have foughshoulder to shoulder in many t hard-fought battle, and hav* learned to admire and respect , each other. But, unfortunately, the good fellowship that exist? among the men on active service does not extend to Irish politicians and Irishmen who stay at homo. They seem as widely separated as over and neither will yield in the slightest degree. The only way that Ireland will be saved is "by the Imperial-Parlia-ment drafting a firm policy quite independent of party. Thousand* of poor Irishmen, mostly of the •farming class, will bless the Government that brings the country peace and order.. Small tradesmen and professional men wid not be behind with their thanks, for the present state #f affairs is . bringing them ruin. The country is capable of enormous potentialities’in tbe way of industrial development. Ireland, governed by sense instead of being swayed by sentiment, would take the place for which she was intended by Nature, and would become a working partner in the British Umpire, which is, after all, the greatest civilising and commercial concern that the world has ever known. If a settlement of the Irish problem were brought about Englishmen would he freed from the reproach that has been hurled at them that they have kept m duress within their house • ■«»« lovely bride that they .have wedded hut have never won. ' I-' -' .; T yyy v-y /A ■