LEAVE CANCELLED.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XI, Issue 200, 17 August 1921, Page 5

LEAVE CANCELLED.

Soldiers Return to Ireland.

DAIL EIREANN IN SESSION.

De Valera’s Declaration.

“ WILL DIE FOR INDEPENDENCE.”

[By Cable. Press Assn. Copyright.]

(Received 17, 8. 55 a.m.) London, Aug. 16. Leave for all soldiers from Ireland been cancelled, and they have been ordered to return immediately. Despite a downpour of rain enormous crowds waited outside Dublin Mansion House for the opening of Dail Eireann. Traffic was suspended. 'Large confiiigents of the Irish Republican Army held the streets for a radius of 100 yards. As the members of Dail Eireann entered the chamber, the oath, pledging allegiance to the free Irish state was administered. Mr. John McNeill was elected speaker. Mr. De Valera, in a lengthy speech,reiterated Ireland’s claim to separation from Britain. He said the only Government which the people recognised was the Dail Eireann ministry. He would report on the negotiations with the Government, and proposed that the reply be discussed in a private session. He understood it was the intention of the British Government to make that reply an issue between peace and war. Hence, the first discussion would be held privately and when i-eady for despatch there would be another public session. Mr. De Valera, continuing, said he did not say the people had been given a plebiscite for the form of republican government, so much as for Irish freedom and independence ; hence the Irish republic as such was sanctioned by the will of the people and their representatives. He solemnly declared that the nation’s independence for which £hey would give their lives if necessary was to make the people’s will effective. “Only on the basis of recognition of the republic can we deal with any foreign power. We stand by that principle and mean to die for it if necessary. The British proposals were not just, and because of that I sent the reply.” At a meeting of the Gaelic League m Dublin, some days ago, Mr. De Valera, speaking in Irish, appealed strongly for the preservation of the Irish language. He declared that Ireland with the Irish language and without freedom would be preferable to the reverse conditions, for without the Irish language Ireland could no longer be a distinct nation. In the House of Lords the Marquis of Crewe and other speakers all assumed as a practical certainty that Parliament would be summoned in September to deal with the Irish settlement. PARNELL’S PORTRAIT LOOKS ON. (Received 17, 11.15 a.m.) London, Aug. 16. Dail Eireann assembled in the Round Room of Mansion House where Parnell made some of this great orations for Irish freedom. Parnell’s portrait hung above the Speaker’s chair. Nearly two thousand were present in the galleries, including prominent lawyers, clergy, medical men and business men. When the clerk called the names of Sir James Craig and other members of the Ulster Parliament, and Mr. John Devlin x to which, of course, there was no response, derisive laughter on the part of the audience was suppressed by the Speaker. Mr. Michael Collins was the first to sign the roll. He received z an ovation. Five ladies took the oath, and one Englishman, Erskine Childers. At the conclusion of De Valera’s speech Dail Eireann adjourned till to-morrow.—(A. and N.Z.)

BRITAIN’S LIMIT. WHAT REJECTION MEANS. IRISH REFERENDUM POSSIBLE. ! — I London, Aug. 16. The “Tinies” lobbyist says members are unanimous that the Government has gone to the limit of concessions. I Well informed persons in close touch ! with the Sinn Fein and South Ireland interpret Mr. De Valera’s statement t that the Dail Eireann could not, and the Irish people would not, accept Mr. Lloyd George's proposals as an indication that the ultimate recommendation ' of the Sinn Fein Cabinet to the Dail Eireann will be a referendum of the people, and not rejection of the terms. Any rejection, with the possible renewal of hostilities, would undoubtedly lead to a general election in England, in which the Government would appeal to the electors for unchallengeable authority to resist a separate movement in Ireland. A Dublin correspondent states that the general feeling in Dublin is that an agreement will eventually be reached. | Mr. Lloyd George, replying to questions in the House of Commons, said an amnesty had not been granted any . person in Ire.’and. The release of ‘ members of the Dail Eirann was no precedent for other releases. The “Daily Express” lobbyist reports that Mr. De Valera is credited with the intention of standing up to the Sinn Fein extremists, pressing for a referendum on the Government offer. If the . Dail Eireann attempts this method the , Government is prepared to give all facilities, without committing itself to 1 acceptance'of the result- Those in touch with Sinn Fein opinion declare that though Mr. De Valeja wrote the letter of rejection to please the extreI mists, the letter must not be taken as I the Sinn Feiners’ last word. If the extremists attempt to make further negotiations impossible a serious split may immediately develop in the Sinn Fein movement EXTREMISTS BOMBARD MEMBERS The “Daily News” Dublin correspondent reports that the extremists are 1 daily bombarding members of the Dail i Eireann with messages demanding no ' surrender. These are supported by a section of the younger priesthood, and they coftmit three errors: — Firstly. —They badly underestimate British military strength. Secondly—They fail to appreciate the strength of the sincerity _ of the new spirit regarding IrUli affairs that is pervading Great Britain. Thirdly.—They make insufficient allowance for the effect of the British offer on world opinion. I BELFAST AGHAST. I The “Daily Telegraph’s” Belfast correspondent says: “The entire public opinion is aghast at the -Sinn Fein folly in rejecting the offer. It is not believed that Mr. De Valera is bluffing, but it will not be surprising if negotiations continue for some time before the final rupture.” Cardinal Logue, interviewed, refused to express an opinion at this stage. The moderate Nationalists favour acceptance, but they are inarticulate. So far as the rank and file of the Sinn Feiners are concerned there is a hopeful feeling that progress towards a settlement has not been checked. (A. and N.Z.) BURNING AND MURDER BIG COMPENSATION CLAIMS. London, Aug. 16. Lord Castlernaine is claiming £200,000 compensation for the destruction of Moydrum Castle in July, and Mrs Lambert £30,000 for the murder of her husband, General Lambert—(A. am N.Z.,

IRISH RAILWAYS DISPUTE. A SERIOUS CRISIS AVERTED. London, Aug. 15. The Irish railway directors and workers have agreed to refer the present dispute, which threatened a grave strike, to a tribunal, on which the directors and workers will each nominate five representatives, the Lord Chancellor nominating a chairman. — (A. and N.Z.) STRIKE A NEW PERIL TO PEACE The correspondent of the “Tiroes’’ at Dublin, writing on August 3rd. stated that, following a grave warning from the Lord Mayor of Dublin tv the Irish Trade Union Congress that people connected with a big railway were making efforts to frustrate the peace movement, the discussions on the question of a general strike against the proposed reduction of wages on the railways and in other industries are invested with paramount importance. The present relations of the Sinn Fein and Irish Labour are cordial, but their interests are not identical. Organised Labour proposes general resistance on the ground that the cost of living is higher iu Ireland than in Britain. If the trade unions persist in their intention they will create a grave situation. Powerful forces are, however, likely to operate for peace. The prospects of a political settlement would be endangered by an economic disturbance, lb is believed that for this reason the Republican leaders will exert all their power to prevent an industrial crisis, which would be repugnant to public opinion. The speeches made at the congress all favoured a stand against the reductions. The president, Mr. Thomas Foran, predicted that an industrial upheaval would be a reality within a very shoft time, and urged the preparation of a. definite programme of action, on which they could be confident of unionists’ co-operation.