OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 17 February 1921, Page 5

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

THE MALLOW SHOOTINGS

CORK FIRES

GENERAL STRICKLAND'S REPORT

8Y CABLEh-PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT LONDON, Feb. 15.

In the House of Commons, Mr J. H. Thomas (Labour) raised the question of the Mallow shootings. He detailed the result* of enquiries by a trade union delegate, showing that the Crown forces were highly blaeworthy. The reoital was punctuated with cries of "shame" from Labourites.

Continuing his speech, Mr Thomas said that after Mrs King was shot the police came to the station and. said that if the woman died fifteen railwaymen TTOuld be shot. Four railwaymen were captured and marched to the barracks, •where they were beaten with *fisfs and revolvers, and told to carry the body of the woman from a military motor to a i cell. When released next morning, the railwaymen were told to run, and three of the four were shot dead. (Cries of "Shame.")

Mr Lloyd George, replying to Mr Asquith (Liberal leader), said a discussion of the new arrangements under the Peace Treaty would be very undesirable before the pending conference, which Germany attends. He did not consider that the proposals agreed to "were departures from the Versailles Treaty. The Government proposed to table Lord Milner's report on the Mid_le East, but he was not prepared to say to what extent they would adopt the report before discussing it with representatives of the Dominions. t From General Strickland's report he was satisfied there had been acis of indiscipline oh the jpart of uniformed forces, .hut he was unable to locate' these persons. The Premier promised an investigation of the Mallow shootings..

Mr Lloyd George said the facts which Mr.Thpmas had placed before the House would b e carefully looked into, hut we were not going to submit to threats of a strike.

Mr Asquith, referring to the reform of the House of Lords, said a more modest aspiration couched in more diffident terms and suffused with a more pronounced tinge of ultimate mistrust, -was never put into the mouth of a Sovereign since King'B had become a recognised Parliamentary institution. Alluding to the decision,not to publish General Strickland's report on the Cork fires, he said the only way to vindicate England's name was ' a free, impartial" and independent enquiry.

Lord Robert Cecil, wlio sat on the front Opposition bench, interjected : "And in oublic."

The Premier, replying to an amendment urging co-ordination between the army, navy and air force, admitted the necessity of co-ordination, but said there should be co-ordination between the various parts of the Empire. The defence of the Empire should be an Imperial concern. It was too much to ask these small islands to undertake the defence of a gigantic Empire in every Bea. The whole problem, would be brought before . the meeting of Premiers. The knowledge -that the Empire stood together would be the best guarantee against the shedding of ilood.. . > •

Mr Clynes, on behalf of the Labour Party, has lodged an amendment to the TXddress-in-Reply, regretting that the King's Speech did not recognise tho right of the genuine unemployed to •<work or adequate maintenance.

The House of Lords agreed to the Address.

Lord Curzon, replying to the debate, paid a trihute to General Smuts (Premier of South Africa), who was a patriot statesman. His triumph was not only a victory for South Africa, hut for the Empire as a whole. The condition of Euro^fe was brighter and more full of hope than a year ago.

Referring to General Strickland's report, Lord Curzon said the Government had come to the conclusion that one company of auxiliary police were guilty of grave acts of indiscipline, but a body of auxiliaries helped to put out the fires. There was grave difficulty in (identifying individuals, but *the company -would be suspended. Seven men had been dismissed, and the company had been broken up. , [General Strickland's report-concern-ed the 'burning of houses in Cork by auxiliaries as reprisals for the crimes of SinajPeiners.]