IRELAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17902, 6 April 1920, Page 5

IRELAND

BRITISH GOVERNMENTS ATTITUDE. PREMIER'S LETTER TO MAYOR OF DUBLIN. Pxee» Association —By TelogTaph— Copyright. LONDON, April 2. Mr Lloyd George, in a letter to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, points out that Ireland is menaced by a formidable organisation seeking to terrorise public, officials. The campaign has attained such proportions that it is impossible in the ordinary way to obtain evidence leading to arrests or convictions. Despite these difficulties, tho Government's imperative duty was to leave no stone unturned to lay hands on | the* terrorists, even if at times it is compelled to dislocate- in somo degree the | normal life of tho community. Mr Lloyd Georgo says he believes the present campaign to bo largely prompted by a desire to render impossible any settlement of tho Irish Question. He urges tliat the present Bill is more generous than any previous measure. It provides means j whereby Ireland can attain unity by the free act of her own citizens, without further reference to the Imperial Parliament. He does not believe it possible for Ireland to obtain unity and peace except by theso methods of reason and conciliation. The policy of Sinn Fein is exactly opposite to this. It depends upon violence — a policy which will never lead to union, and certainly can never achieve the \ avowed object of an Irish Republic. It can only condemn Ireland to a long continuance of the terrorism and distress dominating it to-day, for the Government cannot bo deflected from what it believes to be the only course consistent with reason and common sense. If there are any means whereby moderate men can be helped to withstand and or/pose the campaign of intimidation, and so bring nearer, some settlement of the question, he will gladly co-operato in bringing it into effect. —Imperial News Service. EXTENSIVE CATTLE DRIVES. FIGHT WITH GOVERNMENT FORCES. SIX OF DROVERS ARRESTED. LONDON, April 3. Eighteen hundred' men participated in a hugo cattle drive in Galway, clearing thousands of acres. The police were powerless. Many smaller drives occurred in Mayo, and there were three drives to-day in the Ballyhaunes district. The residence of General Lewin, a large landowner, was attacked. The military arrived on tho-scene, and fired overhead, causing the drovers to flee. They arrested six of the drovers.—A. and N.Z. Cable. POLICE STATIONS DESTROYED. OCCUPANTS WITHDRAWN TO LARGE TOWNS. •LONDON, April 4. Tho Clough -police station (CVninty Down) was blown up during the night. Numerous raids were made on the police barracks at various parts of the province. The stations at Loughbrickland, Rostrevor, and Trillick were blown up or burned down. Their occupants, however, had previously withdrawn to the safety of larger towns!—A. and N.Z. Cable. YOUTH BRUTALLY SHOT. PARENTS FORCED TO LOOK ON. LONDON, April 5. (Received April 5, at 8.25 p.m.) Other barracks burnt or destroyed in Ireland include three in County Cork/ six in County Limerick, and 12 in County Clare. The authorities declare that the only inconvenience resulting from the destruction of revenue records will be felt by the taxpayers. Twenty armed raiders entered a house in Clara, a market town, in King's County, and dragged a youth named Kiernan Flynn into the yard. They forced his father, mother, and sister to sit in chairs in the yard, and then ordered Kiernan to stand. He was then shot, and lies in a critical condition.—A and N.Z. Cable. BIG FIRES IN DUBLIN. GOVERNMENT OFFICES DAMAGED. INCENDIARISM AND OUTRAGES ELSEWHERE. LONDON, April 4. The fire brigades at Dublin were engaged for three hours last night in coping with eight separate fires in the Income Tax Collectors' and Surveyors' offices in different parts,of the city. 'Before the outbreaks were subdued masses of important correspondence and documente were destroyed, which was doubtless the incendiarists' object. The caretakers hod previously been held up with revolvers. Similarly, two fires occurred in the Pensions and Inland Revenue offices at Cork, separated by half a mile. Many rounds of revolver ammunition were seized aboard a vessel reaching Londonderry on Saturday. The governor of Londonderry gaol re fused to allow the Nationalist Mayor of the city, a Sinn Feiner, to see prisoners, as the Mayor had not taken the oath of allegiance.—A. and N.Z. Cable. _ LONDON, April 5. (Received April 5, at 7.55 p.m.) Dublin authorities on Sunday afternoon received reports of the destruction of 50 barracks, nearlv all of which were previously vacated. There were also fires in 17 taxation offices.—A. and N.Z. Cable. SINN FEIN DEFIANCE. LONDON, April. 4. The Sinn Fein flag is flying from the flagstaff of the Admiralty pier at Queenstown. Sinn Foiners have cut -the halyards and greased the flagstaff to prevent the removal of the flag. Communication with Belfast has been restored. The police barracks at Blackwatertown, Ballynascanolon, were burned down. Masked men unsuccessfully attempted to burn the revenue offices at Dundalk Island.—A. and N.Z. Gable. COMPENSATION FOR OUTRAGES. LOCAL LEVIES IMPOSED. LONDON, April 4. Judge Kenny imposed a local levy of £5000 to compensate the relatives of Constable D. Hunt, who was shot dead at Thurles. The County Court at Tipperary similarly awarded to the relatives of Sergeant Brady (who was killed at Lorrha) £2000, and to the relatives of Constable- Foley (who was wounded on the same occasion) £2300.— A. ana N.Z. Cable. A PROGRAMME OF OUTRAGES. SUBMARINE CABLE CUT. LONDON, April 4. After the wires running to Dublin had been cut, isolating Belfast, gangs of criminals entered tho Grand Central Hotel, which accommodates the Pensions, Labour, and other departments; also the Bank of Ireland. The Queen's Bridge was destroyed with many documents at night time. Fires were afterwards discovered, and extinguished •by tho fire brigade. Three separate fires occurred at the Income Tax offices, also the Government Surveyors' ofteoj but # the only office seriously damaged was Blair's, in Worth street. Armed police are now guarding the city post offices and public buildings. Belfast remains calm. Tho submarine cable from Whitehead to England was cut. The alarmist predictions of an uprising during Easter apparently dwindled to an unforeseen but carefully planned programme of destruction of Government offices in various parts of Ireland.—A. and N.Z. Cable.