IRISH AFFAIRS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 December 1919, Page 5

IRISH AFFAIRS.

ATTACK ON I/ORD FRENCH. . VICEROY UNPERTURBED. (USXTED SERVICE TELEGRAM.] Received this day at 11.40 a.m. LONDON, Dec, 20. Lord French anticipated an attack for weeks. He recently declared that he was governing .Ireland with a pistol at his head. He was not going to evade the danger, " He added: “If they want me, they will find me doing my duty. I won’t alter my routine for all the threats in Ireland.” Savage, the assassin, who was killed, was a well-known seditidnist. He carried a German pigtol, find the documents found on his body give important clues to the conspiracy. • Mr Bonar Law, in a speech at Liverpool, said that the position in Ireland was terrible, but the Government would not permit the establishment of a Republic, The attack on Lord Frenah was a significant indication of the spirit in which a section of the Irish welcome the Cabinet’s new attempt at settlement. . > The “Times,” in an editorial, says: The Sinn Fein must repudiate the attempt to assassinate one of the greatest Irishmen or take the political .consequences. ATTACK WELL PLANNED. LEAKAGE OfInFORMATION. ■Australian and N.Z. Cable A«Honiatioo.l (Received this day at 12.10_p.m.) LONDON, Dec" "20. Lord French’s personal escort were unable to give chase as th? • strict standing orders provided that they must not leave t.he Viceroy on any pretext. All the attackers apparently were young and well dressed. The dead man was aged about, twenty. He was a grocer’s assistant named Savage, residing, in Dublin. Unlike his accomplices* he emerged from the hedge and stood ir. full view on the footpath firing a revolver. He was shot by a policeman in the eicort.

His accomplices dragged him to a house where blood stains were afterwards fund. Apparently when they found that Savage was dead,) his friends decamped. A curious feature of 'the attack was the complete knowledge possessed of the - Viceroy’s movements though every precaution was'taken Ly the authorities who might select any of three available stations, and the order of the cars was never decided beforehand. The remaining cars were exactly similar in appearance to that occupied by the Viceroy. TRAIN WRECKING. Home damage done. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received this day at 12.35 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 20. An attempt was made to derail a train at, Corrofin County Clare nes were placed on the track and the train ran into the obstruction which did some damage to the rolling stock, but no one was hurt. It is reported that the police had taken special precautions against malefactors and possible outrage during the Irish debate in the House of Commons which is fixed for Monday. One account of the Phoenix Park attack states that Lord French stood in the car briskly returning his as sailant’s fire. Mr. Bonar "Law at Liverpool said that the talk about a general election in* February was all nonsense. , VICEROY'S COURAGE. THE KING’S CONGRATULATIONS. Australian and N, Z. Cable Association.) (Received this day at 1.5 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 20. Even the imminent arrival of the Viceroy was supposed to be a secret. The motors 1 proceeded to the station at the last minute. It is stated that the authorities are not surprised at the attack, it was known for some time that the ■Viceroy's life was in danger. He had many warnings, including, threatening letters, bub ignored the warnings. lie recently walked the streets :>£ Dublin, his only escort being two detectives. • Lord French calmly surveyed' the proceedings throughout 'the a flack "and took lunch at Dublin Castle immediately afterwards'. A strong force of troops patroued the streets of Dublin at night. Tanks were also used. The King telegraphed congratulations to Lord French on his escape. Mr Bonar Law’, at Liverpool, said that the Irish problem w r as the most perilous that any statesman ever attempted to solve. The position w r as terrible, hut there should be no cleavage in the Coalition.

“If you are prepared to allow a republic give them self-determina-tion ; if not, you must deal with it in some other way. This Government is not going to allow an Irish Republic to be established.-’' He believed that the assailants chose the present time in order To indicate their attitude towards the Government’s next effort to achieve a settlement, which would be announced on Monday. Anyhow, such intimation would never cause the British people to concede self-determination.

POLITICIANS DISMAYED. PRESS CRITICISM, fAustralian and N.Z. Cabin Association.! Received this day at 32.40 p.m. LONDON, Dccemcr 2d The attempt. on French’s life has dismayed politicians and the public wo’-Vmcr {o’- an Irish settlement. The political effect is serious. Lobbyists report that Mr. L’oyd George is deeply concerned, and has modified the whole of his Irish policy, taking the view that Home Rule is im-

: possible while Irishmen pursue tjieir " u.ins with a bludgebn. The >scort - wri&ywindedwhen it ;ar rived on the scene, arid' was unable to follow the assassins; merely nring m the direction of their flight. -.. . The Army in Ireland lias been, increased, arid, is now at least 43,000, with riiany batteries of. artillery, aeroplanes and tanks. 1 Two tanks traversed the streets .of Driblin after the outrage. ■ V ? ■ majority of the : British' news- | papers urge the Government not to dievrge from the pathway of reform. The Times say ': Events in Ireland m6ve from calamity to calamity. No end is in sight. pacification by generous economic concessions is dead. Coercion has likewise failed.

NEWSPAPER PLANT SMASHED.

‘‘SAVAGE ASSASSINS.”

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

Received at midnight, LONDON, Dec. 22

Forty Sinn Feiners raided the office of the newspaper “Irish Independent,’ ’ arid broke up the machinery. Their action was a protest against an article published, calling Sinn Feiners “savage assassins,’’