THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 23

THE IRISH PROBLEM.

TRYING VOLUNTARY ENLISTMENT. TO BE REWARDED WITH LAND. (By Cable.) LORD FRENCH'S PROCLAMATION. Lord French has issued the following proclamation: " In pursuance of oar promise, we now make an offer which, ii successful, will ensure that Ireland shall play her part fully and freely in the world's struggle for liberty. The offer we make is that Ireland shall voluntarily furnish the number of men required to establish an equitable ratio compared with other parts of the Empire. - "In order to establish that ratio Ireland can fairly be asked to raise 50,000 recruits before' October 1 to replenish the Irish divisions in the field. Alter that date Ireland should raise from two to three thousand recruits monthly, in order to maintain these divisions. " Wo wish to make it quite dear to everyone that there is no intention to disturb farming interests, food production, or do anything which would hamper or curtail the essential industries of the country. It is not expected that many of the" rural population will be available for military purposes. \ The Government looks almost entirely to the largo numbers of young men in the towns, who are far more numerous than the number required to carry on ordinary retail trade. " Wo propose first to call young men and those who can best be spared to come forward and fight for their Motherland. The age limit in the present appeal has therefore been fixed at from 18 to 27, but this is not intended to preclude older men from coming forward who may be specially fitted for military service. " We" recognise that the men who come forward to fight are entitled to share all the Motherland can offer. Steps are, therefore, being taken tb ensure that t as far as possible, land shall be available for the men who fought, r.nd the necessary legislative measure is under consideration.

" Recruiting will bo in civilian hands, and steps will be taken to securt* that fair play filial! be meted out to all." It is stated in Dublin that Lord French is forming a non-political committee of prominent Irishmen to conduct voluntary, recruiting. ■a PRESS CRITICISM, , Dublin newspapers interpret Lord French's proclamation as an .admission that conscription has been abandoned, and thus the purpose lias been achieved for which the Irish members departed from the House of Commons, and the Government has completely climbed down. But it is announced in Government quarters that conscription will assuredly be enforced in the event of Ireland not grasping the present opportunity. Nationalist criticism suggests an attempt to range the towns of Ireland against the country. It is recalled that the Government, at an earlier stage, declared that it was impossible to provide, land for soldiers' dependents. Nationalists aver that the Government cannot find land for the rural population and evictedtenants. The Government would be well advised to promulgate a detailed scheme at the outset, thus proving its bona fides. The Daily Telegraph's Dublin correspondent says:

Lord French's tact in framing the recruiting proclamation is praised; and ilia ppirit of conciliation and good-will it displays is generally approved of, but soma Unionists criticise the schema on tha ground that it errs on the side of generosity.

There are in Ireland over 400,000 unmarried males of military age, of whom, 350,000 are engaged in agriculture; £0 ii is obvious that they can provide readih the 50,000 l'ecruits required by October 1; Mr Dillon, M.P., Nationalist Leadei*. interviewed by the correspondent, said: " The only thing I can sav at present is that it is a very unfortunate situation for Ireland, mainly as the result of the Government's blunders and mismanagement. Mischief-makers have taken full advantage of those blunders, but their efforts would have been fruitless if tha

Government had acted with sympathy. I cannot see any marked sign of a change of mind on the part of tho Government, whose appears are entirely blind to the fact that yon cannot secure the support of tho people unless you convince them that you respect and trust them. The Irish can never be dragooned or bullied into loyal friendship with England. The Government has undoubtedly done a wise thing in abandoning its .attempt to enforce Conscription. The success of Lord Trench's appeal depends entirely upon the extent to which tho Government reverses its Irish policv." The Daily "Telegraph states that the Catholic clergy say the success of Lord French's scheme depends on the Government giving Ireland a generous measure of Home Rule.

The Morning Post denounces the bribe to the Sinn Feiners. and asks if the offer of land is to be retrospective, and where the land is to, be got. The Post also points out that if the offer is retrospective there are already 50,000 Ulstermen who may be claimants. Debating the third reading of the Soldiers' Land Settlement Bill in the House of Commons, Sir Hamar Greenwood (Sunderland) sharply criticised the discrimination in favour of Irishmen shown in Lord French's proclamation. Sir H. Greenwood said: "Nothing is more sure . io cause discord in the. army than this coaxing of Irishmen to do their duty. We are treating British soldiers and sailors worse than the Irish." The Irish Times declares that Lord French's proposal is extraordinarily moderate. Ireland could recruit 100,000 men without impoverishing any essential industry, and could raise 50,000 a month if the Nationalists and bishops would assist. A MISUNDERSTANDING. Mr Bonar Law, answering a question in the House of Commons, said there was a considerable misunderstanding regarding the land proposals for Irish soldiers, and he would make a considered announcement next week. It was intended to give similar grants of land to English soldiers. LAWLESS ACTS. In view of the prohibition of processions and outdoor meetings, the Sinn Feiners axe adopting funerals as demonstrations. Large processions follow the coffins, and revolver salutes are fired over the grave. The unsettled state of the country is reflected by the news from inany parts. The chairman of the Kerry County Council was sentenced to a year's imprisonment with hard labour for failing to report a raid for arms upon the premises of the executive. Drives for weapons and explosives are reported from Tipperary and elsewhere. The Central News states that a bomb thrown amongst a group .of persons in a roadway at Ballina severely injured six women' and two men. A man named Stuart was arrested. He complained that a crowd had collected outside his house and was hooting him. Some Sinn Feiners raided the unoccupied country house of Mr Justice Ross, in County Tyrone, for the purpose of stealing sporting rifles, in which they were unsuccessful. '- THE PRO-GERMAN PLOT. Jereihiah O'Leary and six others have been indicted in New York as alleged spies, and charged with high treason. O'Leary and the others arrested with liim are" charged with furnishing naval and military information to the enemy, financing German propaganda, bomb plots, and placing spies in nrunition plants. The defendants include Madam Devi Gloria, who is reported to be a kinswoman of the Kaiserin. The indictment alleges that certain German agents in America are endeavouring to ascertain what support would be available for sending German troops to Ireland, destroying English bridges and transport facilities, inducing an Irish attack upon British forces, and also regarding the possibility of forcing Britain to withdraw troops from France for service in Ireland. CONSCRIPTION. An anti-conscription conference at ' Dublin issued a statement warning countrymen against false confidence thatconecription had ended; it had been only provisionally postponed. The General Assembly of the Irish Presbyterian Church, Belfast, passed a resolution approving of conscription' and opposing Home Rule. NATIONALISTS AND SINN FEIN. Tho Central News reports that the Irish Nationalists have officially decided to return to the House of Commons. The Dublin correspondent of The Tinies states that the Nationalists apparently have surrendered to Sinn Fein, remaining silent while tho Mansion House Conference issued manifestoes ignoring Lord French's proposals. Mr Dillon, M.P., writing to the South Tipperary Farmers' Association, says : An increase in the income taxation would never have been proposed had the Irish party remained in Parliament with undiminished power, but dissensions in the Nationalists' quarter and the loss of soma elections weakened the party. He looked with curiosity to see what course the Sinn Feiners would take against oppressive legislation. HOME RULE BILL. In the House of Commons, replying to o. question, Mr Bonar Law said he could not say when the Home Rule Bill will bo introduced. It was incorrect to infer from Lord French's proclamation that the Government had abandoned the idea of conscription in Ireland. PERSONAL. The Evening Press Bureau states that Sir J. H. M. Campbell, Chief Justice of Ireland, has been appointed Lord Chan-

cellor of Ireland in succession to Sir I. J. O'Brien, who has resigned and been raised to the peerage.