IRELAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3448, 13 April 1920, Page 18

IRELAND.

(By Cable.) THE LATEST OUTRAGES. LONDON, April 5. The Times's Dublin correspondent writes: "All sections of public opinion realise that the Government must change Its methods quickly to prove its earnestness for a settlement. It must devise new methods to suppress ' crime. The authorities are confronted -with a heavy task, but if they are firm and tactful they will find immediate support from large sections of ihe community. The most deplorable feature of the latest outrages was the existence of such a widespread plot without the authorities having the slightest foreknowledge of its existence. Raids were carried out simultaneously throughout the oountry, the incendiaries in every instance escaping detection." A HUNGER STRIKE. LONDON, April 6. Eighty Sinn Fein prisoners are hunger striking in Mount Joy Gaol. HOIST WITH HIS OWN PETARD. LONDON, April 6. . A Sinn Feiner while blowing up the police barracks on the Donegal coast was Killed by the explosion. The other Sinn Feiners hid the body, hoping to conceal the tragedy. LORD FRENCH INTERVIEWED. LONDON, April 7. The Daily Express interviewed Lord French, who denied any truth in the report of his intended resignation. He added : "It is true I am fed up, and wish somebody would relieve me of the job, but I am not resigning." Lord French complained that the position in Ireland had been exaggerated. Too much-of the criticism was merely destructive. Nobody was offering a constructive alternative to the present Home Rule Bill. He had always been a Home Ruler, and had been more so since he became Viceroy. He totally disagreed with Dublin Castle methods. He was unable to spend £2O without permission from Whitehall, but Mr Lloyd George and Mr Bonar Law had splendidly supported him. - The Sinn Fein movement meant a reign of terror. The best brains in Ireland were behind it, and its headquarters were in Dublin. Lord French, in the course of his interview with a Daily Express representative, further said that the Sinn Feiners had now an organised army of 100,000 men in regiments and brigades, under disciplined officers. Most of the arms they possess have been stolen, but they are & formidable army. The authorities have proof where the 'money came from, and Know who are the three treasurers. Two of them are famous men, one being a wellknown professor and the other a leading Boman Catholic bishop. Lord French says he is co-nvinced that English opinion is- beins; misled by ex-

aggerated reports. England does not understand Ireland one bit. Asked -what the end would be, Lord French replied: "There is "clear evidence (It •«• split in the Sinn Fein ranks, which will ■probably mean the undoing' of four Sinn Fein leaders who are behind the Irish murders, despite the attempt to throw the blame on other shoulders. The Sunn Feiners executed Mr Mac Curtain (Lord Mayor of Cork) because he refused as brigadier of the Irish volunteers to sign the death warrant of a certain man condemned to die. This man was later found shot outside of Limerick." MAKING GOOD THE DAMAGE. LONDON, April V. Altogether 165 barracks have been destroyed in Ireland. The authorities intend to levy a form of compensation. In the event of payment being refused the Government will withhold the amounts from grants for local services. THE MOVEMENT IN AMERICA. WASHINGTON, April 7. On being driven away from the front of the British Embassy, women picketers utilised an aeroplane to send down"leaflets denouncing England's actions in Ireland. Later they picketed State Department offices carrying placards bearing quotations from a pro-Irish speech delivered on an occasion some time ago by the Secretary of State. AN OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER. LONDON, April 8. Sin Fein leaders are at a white heat of indignation over Lord French's charges of their complicity in the mnrder of Mr Mac Curtain (Lord" Mayor of Cork), Dublin Castle has issued a statement that the Daily Express interyiew with Lord French was unauthorised, and misrepresents the conversation. APPALLING LIST OF CRIMES. LONDON, April 8. An official return of the Sinn Fein outrages in Ireland from January 1, 1919, to March 29, 1920, shows that they totalled 1098, of which 588 were in Munster, 269 in Leinster, 137 in Connaught, and 95 in Ulster. The outrages include 36 murders, of which five were murders of civilians. There were 81 cases of firing at persons—namely, 56 at the police, 12 at the military, and 14 at civilians. There were 32 assaults and 426 raids for arms, of which 389 were on civilians. There were 47 incendiary fires and 54 cases of firing into dwellings —namely, 24 into police barracks and 30 into civilian dwellings. RAID AT ROSKEEN. LONDON, April 8. A determined attack was made on the barracks at Roskeen, in Tipperary. The police sent up rockets, which were seen at Thurles, whence reinforcements armed Avith rifles went to their assistance. On arrival at Roskeeh a fight in pitch darkness followed, in which one policeman was wounded. The raiders were driven off.

BALLROOM RAIDED. LONDON, April 8. ■ Sinn Feiners raider a fashionable ballroom at Dungavin. They broke the windows and removed Union Jacks decorating the hall, replacing them with Sinn Fein flags. The ball then resumed. SINN FEIN PRISONERS OBDURATE. LONDON, April 9. The Sinn Feiners in Mountjoy Prison continue their hunger strike. _ _ Several of them are in a critical condition. Mr Alan .Bell's widow has lodged a claim against., the Dublin Corporation for £IO,OOO as compensation for the loss of her husband. [Mr Bell was a Dublin magistrate, who was brutally murdered by 10 assailants.] STAPLE DIET OVERDONE. WASHINGTON, April 9. Irish pickets who reappeared before the British Embassy were arrested. Persons who were previously arrested complain of the diet of Irish potatoes during their detention in prison. MORE GUERRILLA WARFARE. LONDON, April 9. A party lying in ambush at Nenagh fired at three constables, one cf whom is dead. A second is dying, and the third is in a serious condition.