THE IRISH QUESTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 114, 18 May 1918, Page 3

THE IRISH QUESTION.

.MEMORIAL TO THE PREMIER

L.O.N.DON. April 30. Replying to a memorial signed .by over 60,000 Irish residents of Great Rritain favouring the immediate sellgovernrnent of Ireland, the Prime Minister. Mr Lloyd George, .said■-. —"There if. no object which 1 have more closely at heart '.than to assist in composing this ancient controversy. I < im I.Gini'l to say. however, that the. dim' cnlties which are sufficiently great, have not been rendered ea.sior of settlement by the challenge to the supremacy of the United Kingdom Parliament in that sphere which has always been regarded as properly belonging to it by all advocates of Home Rule, which has recently been issued by the Nationalist Party and the Roman Catholic hierarchy in concert with the leaders of the Sinn Fein movement.'' While the situation in Ireland is practically unchanged', popular feeling appears somewhat to have subsided, consequent on the enforcement of conscription./: A .deputation 'of Belfast, workers is proceeding to London to give Mr Lloyd George the Ulster trades unions' view regarding conscription and Home Rule. 'Hie centre of (lie Irish crisis is temporarily transferred .to London, where there is much political tension over Home Rule owing to the hardening'of the Unionist opposition. A meeting of members of both Houses convened by the Navy League appointed a deputation to wait or. Mr Walter Long. .Colonial Secretary, to urge on the Imperial Parliament the retention of Irish harbours. A section of the Unionists desire the retention of the control of the railways and the post offices. The R'aily News says that the now Irish policy has involved the Government in serious difficulties. Several peers have declined the position of Lord-Lieutenant. Lord Brassey, writing to the Times, asserts that a majority of the United " Kingdom, not of Ireland, must settle this question. He. gives as instances Australia. and Ganida, where the States ami provinces were not permitted to decide separately. LONDON, April 28.

The Times correspondent at Dublin <ays that apparently the new Irish political alliance is disintegrating. The. National i?;.\« and the Sinn. Fein -are ighting over the Commons vacancy for East Cavan. ,Soine of the leading priests are siding with the Sinn Fein "candidate. The' .bishops' intervention in the conscription campaign has intensified the difficulties of Home Rule fettuement. and revived all Ulster Vs fears and suspicions. The corresponde-it, of the Daily "■hronicle says that but for the 'Catholic Church supporting anti-conscrip-.]on there would have been violence .ind outrage. "Much as we may lament the Oatholic -bishops' manifesto," the •orrespondent sa\s. "it due to their •■inpliatic counsel that the' unprecedented an ti-conscription demonstrations in practically all -parishes of the country have not. yielded a single case of disorder."

The Times says: "Numerous American and Canadian newspapers favour •onseription in Ireland." The New York Times says : "To the murdem.s of priests, the ravishers of nuns. the. destroyers of churches and •athedrrds, the slayers of Catholics on flood Friday at mass in Paris, the Irish •Catholic Hierarchy now turns in friendship." - LONDON. ..May 1.

The Times correspon'e.-it at .Rome states that it is repented in a Vienna 'cleg ram that the Papal Nuncio has >rilri'ed proceedings against the Bishop •f Lubiana for Ids Jugoslav activities. The Times points ou.'t, that the Papal STnncio cannot initiate proceedings without the. Pope's authority, but u:v *il the news is confirmed it is premature to' contrast the Lubiana case with 'hat of Cardinal Lo.g-ue, Archbishop Manni . and other Irish .prelates, vhose anti-British activities have not 'voked Papal disciplinary measures.