A GRIM RECORD

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10560, 10 April 1920, Page 8

A GRIM RECORD

SINN FEIN OUTRAGES. HUGE TOTAL FOR LAST THREE ,■ MONTHS. , . Renter’s Telegram. ■ - LONDON, April 8. An official return of Sinn Fein outrages in Ireland from January Ist to March 29th last shows that outrages totalled 1089, of which 588 occurred in Munster, 269 in Leinster, 137 in Connaught, and 95 in Ulster. The outrages include 36 murders', of* which ftvo were* ‘ civilians; 81 cases of firing at persons, namely 55 police, 12 military and 14 civilians; 33 assaults; 426 raids for arms, of which 389 were on civilians: 47 incendiary firesand 54 cases of firing ■ dwellings, namely 2 1 into police dwellings and 30 into 'civilian dwellings, LORD FRENCH’S INTERVIEW. INDIGNATION AND EXPLANATION. LONDON, April 8. The Sinn Fein leaders are at a white heat of indignation _at _ Lord French’ charge of complicity m Mr AlacCurtahvs murder. Dublin Cattle has issued a.—statement that the “Daily Express’.’ interview was not authorised and misrepresents the conversation. THE PROBi EM OF IRELAND VISCOUNT HALDANE’S VIEW. ‘ ‘MUST NOT GO OUTSIDE THE EMPIRE.”. Viscount Haldane, who' -was- theguest of the National Liberal Club Political and Economic Circle at a dinner given in connection warn the circle recently, spoke on ‘‘The Constitution of Ireland Within the Empire. ’ The problem of Ireland, Viscount Haldane said, was a difficult one. He whs not sure whether it was a new view that was wanted of the position of Ireland within the constitution of the Empire, He was not sure that what they were suffering from was not a neglect of the obvious. He felt a difficulty in discussing the Irish problem because the Government had announced that they had. a plan whicli they were about to produce. This was a very old Government, and it was at present engaged in a ' veiled attempt at coercing Ireland. To-day, he continued, the problem was not*- so much a recognition of, the title of devolution as a recognition of the claim to nationality. It has been possible in the past to deal with the Irish problem hopefully on a basis of devolution of powers which might be exercised at Westminster, but' were better exercised on the spot. That had been sufficient at one time to afford the prospect of a satisfied Ireland, hut it was not the case to-day. ‘’OUR PROCRASTINATION.” "Owing to our procrastination,” said Lord Haldane, “things have grown in Ireland, and there is s demand to-day for what is called a Dominion Constitution, which is simply a desire for the recognition of nationality in Ireland —a nationality going beyond what used to be discussed in 1886.” They had, he said, passed the old stage of the Liberal Home Rule Bill and - they had now to face the problem of how to devise a plan which would satisfy that sense of nationality which was dominating Ireland and would still be consistent with tho real unity of the Empire. “MUST NOT BREAK FROM EMPIRE.” -

Lord Haitians said that Ireland must not claim to go outside the Empire. If Ireland tried to break away from the Km turn *mch a »torm would arise in England as had never yet been seen over the Irish question. This had to be avoided in the interests of Ireland even more than- their own.They, must create a relationship between themselves and Ireland which was analogous to the relations between themselves and Canada and Australia, allowance being made for the nearness of Ireland to their shores. “I am convinced,'’ said Lord Haldane, "that the only’cure for the disorderly condition of Ireland should come from the Irish people themselves. The ° ne thing that is in the least hopeful for the state of things in Ireland is that the Irish shall have the responsibility put unon them of solving their own problems." _ The only way the questions between the rest of Ireland and Ulster could he settled was by Ulster and tho rest of Ireland settling them between themselves. He advised them to look very carefully at any solution which proposed to sot up two dominion powers for Ireland, leaving them to work out in each of the two smaller areas an attempted solution of their Irish problem, unraeddled with from Westminster, leading to a union which would bring into existence an Ireland ,os a whole.