IRELAND'S CRISIS.

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13982, 19 November 1917, Page 2

IRELAND'S CRISIS.

........ i '' , . " ,' ,l GOVERNED BY THE BWOHD. EMERALD ISLE'S AMAZING ~ PROSPERITY. .CRITICAL BUT HOPEFUL , SITUATION. I SINN EEINNERS IN THE ASCENDANCY. /, PerCnble —Press Association—Copyright (Australian and N.Z; Cable Association) LONDON, November 15.

Although vigilant) Sinn Feinncrß" dedare that Ireland is governed by the sword, there is no doubt that the-coun-try to-day enjoys a greater, measure of fioetlom iliaii'any part of the United Kingdom. Food and drink are more plentiful than in-England,, ami the in : dustries, particularly agriculture, were never more prosperous. Tho United Kingdom had increased tho acreage under tillage during the war period by one million, Ireland's contribution being 700,000 acres. Side by sideMvith this agricultural prosperity, discontent flourishes, fanned by agitators, who are doing their best to provoke an outbreak of disorder by defying authority, The Executive have been sharply criticised for taking.undue risks, but the conditions since the.rebellion have materially changed.

The Australian Press Association representative,..at present visiting' Ireland, writes that the situation is critical, but hopeful. The crux it 1 the prolixin is no longer ns it has been during the pasr. thirty-six years, namely. Ulster's refusal to consider Home -Rule, but the development of a new diilieulty in the Sinn Fein movement, which is ■spreading like wildfire tliroKghoiit Xationalief Ireland. The .Sinn I'Viii lenders express the wildes; and often the most 'treasonable views. They urge their followers to drill and study methods and weapons of war. But the party embraces a vast number of moderate men and women, who, the Press representative believes, would accept a settlement on the basis of cqlpninl home rule. The moderates point to the movement mainly as a protest against the alleged Redmonite inactivity. Jit is almost the lummimio's opinion in southern Ireland that the Nationalists as a party jffS ptpiflly, losing ground, and will probably be wiped out at next general election. The by-eleclions in Roscommon, Longford, East Clare, and Kilkenny proved that the- Nationalists have lost touch with the people, and if the Convention results in n settlement new parties will spring up during the elections for the first Home Rule Parliament, swamping both the Nationalists and ihe Sinn Fein. On the other hand, the failure of the Convention will almost certainly result in a great accession '.a the Sinn Fein ranks at the expense of the Nationalist's. Meanwhile the Irish Government is faced with a delicate problem in maintaining order, and, as far as coercion.

THE SINISTER SHADOW. GERMAN INFLUENCE IN IRELAND. ; , DIFFICULTIES OF GOVERNMENT. LONDON, November 1. The Times states that the menaco of the Irish unrest grows under the sinister shadow of German propaganda. Despite Mr Duke's frank and outspoken defence and explanation of the many political difficulties,, there remains a doubt whether the Irish executive has not allowed itself to be too much swayed by the everchanging currents of Irish polities. Otherwise the prospects of the Convention would be brighter.

I WHAT TO DO WTl'fl IRELAND. i ~ IMB HOLMAN'S DUBLIN SPEECH, The following is the London Daily I Telegraph's report of a speech on Irish ! affairs delivered by Mr W. A, Holmoir, Premier of New South Wales, delivered at a lunch at' which he was the guest of Mr J. Devlin, M.P.- , Mr W. A. Holnion, Prims Minister of New South was the guest at luncheon of Mr J, Devlin, M,P,, at the Gresliam Hotel, Dublin, on Thursday. A number of delegates to the Irish' Conj vention were ineluded in the company. j Mr llblnian, replying to the toast of his health, said that if the Convention was ! a success .he hoped, if lie was then in office, to be .present at the opening n f the New Irish Pnrliamcjit, and if cir'•nnislnnees permitted him, to associate the' State of New South Wales with so «real an event in the history of man•kind. He would like to help the equipment of (he new Parliament by presenting it 'Willi a mace of Australian gold. He believed that three-fourths of the people of Australia hoped and prayed for the s:.eeess of the Convention, He told the Protestants of Ulster that the dispersal of (lie Convention without eoniiiijnr to some.solution of (he Irish (fiiestlon would do more to wrech. the future of the British race than any other concessions (hat could he made by the representatives of that province, '

The disagreements of Irishmen ' had lost the Empire at least 200,000 troops from Australia, and had -in all probability', bpjpn the menus of postponing the intervention of the United States in the war. ■•'.'.. ■—..

The message from the sympathetic demofraey of Australia was "Make Ireland a nation; act her free to take her historic place in tho- Vangiinrd of the. democracies of the world, and'generations of Irishmen yet unborn .will. bleaa your name."' ,' •'■'''.