IRELAND

Otago Witness, Issue 3448, 13 April 1920, Page 28

IRELAND

(By Cable.) BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE. PREMIER'S LETTER TO MAYOR OF DUBLIN. LONDON, April 2. Mr Lloyd George, in a letter to the Lord Mayor "of Dublin, paints 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, the 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 some degree tne normal life of the community. Mr Llovd George says he believes the present campaign to be largely prompted by a desire to render impossible any settlement of the Irish Question. He urges that the present Bill is more generous than any previous measure. It provides means ■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 these 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 be 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 orjpose the campaign of intimidation, and so bring nearer some settlement of the question, he will gla"sly co-operate in bringing it into effect. - EASTERTIDE DESTRUCTION.

INCENDIARISM AND OUTRAGES. 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 documents were destroyed, which was doubtless the in-, cendiarists' object. "The caretakers had 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-, em the Mayor had not taken the oath of allegiance. After the wires running to Dublin had been cut, isolating Belfast, gangs of criminals entered the Grand Central Hotel, which accommodates the Pensions, Labour, ead 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 the fire brigade. Three separate fires occurred at the Insome Tax offices, also the Government Surveyors' office, but the only office seriously damaged was Blair's, in North street. Armed police are now guarding the city post offices and public buildings. ' Belfast remains calm. The submarine oable 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. The Sinn Fein flag is flying from the flagstaff of the Admiralty pier at Queenstown. Sinn Feiners have cut the halyards and greased the flagstaff to prevent the removal of the f!a.g. Communication with Belfast has been restored. The tolice barracks at Blackwatertown, BallynMicanolon, were burned down. ■ Masked men unsuccessfully attempted to burn the revenue offices at Dundalk Island. LONDON, April 4. Eighteen hundred men participated in a huge cattle drive in Galway, clearing thousands of acres. The police were powerless. Manv 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 the scene, and fired overhead, causing the drovers to flee. They arrested six of the drovers. POLICE STATIONS DESTROYED. LONDON, April 5. The dough police station (County Down) Avas 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. April 5. Dublin Castle authorities on Sunday afternoon received reports of the destruction of 50 barracks, nearly all of which were previously vacated. There were also fires in 17 taxation offices. 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 destruc-

tion of revenue records will be felt by the I taxpayers. Twenty armed raiders entered a house. in Clara, a market town, in King's County, and dragged a youth named Kier- j nan Flynn into the yard. They forced j 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. COMPENSATION FOR. OUTRAGES. LONDON, April 4. ' Judge Kenny imposed a local levy of £SOOO to compensate tlie 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) £2OOO, and to the relatives of Constable Foley (who was wounded on the same occasion) £2300. j SINN FEIN POLICY. DUBLIN, April 4. The recent. fires are believed to be a new development of a policy directed toAvards making Irland ungovernable by Engla-nd. It is also thought they are a symbolical protest apainst the reservation regarding the income tax and Customs excise. i The Home Rule press thinks Sir Hamar Greenwood's appointment as Chief Secretary means other drastic departmental changes, fresh brains, and new methods: but there is no confirmation of the report of Lord French's resignation as_ Viceroy being imminent. The Nationalist press dismisses Mr J. I. Macpherson, late Chief Secretary, with a blast of abuse. His successor is reported to be a strong, sensible man, impatient of red tape. The Clonmel Hospital authorities have decided not to admit any British soldier _patient, and will urge-other hospitals to ; act similarly. j

DESTRUCTION OF POLICE BARRACKS. LONDON, April 5. . Sunday night passed quietly in Belfast. Reports from country districts relate the further burning of police barracks, six being destroyed in Leitrim, of which one was blown up. Everything was quiet in Dublin and Belfast on Monday, which citizens observed as a holiday. Fully 80 attacks were made on official premises during the week-end. Scarcely a Custom-house between Dublin and Cork remains intact. Tile work of destruction was mainly carried out by mines and bombs, and the damage is estimated at several millions. A few casualties occurred. Details are meagre, owing to the impaired communication. The main cables to England and Scotland have been cut, and there is a general stoppage of telegraphs between Dublin and the north of Ireland. • ARMOURED MOTOR CARS USED. LONDON, April 5. Three persons were, arrested in a raid which was made on the barracks at Donegal. One raider was killed. Four motor lorries and armoured cars raided a small refreshment room in the centre of Dublin in the afternoon. -Seven persons were arrested. A crowd gathered, and sang rebel songs. The rebels fired a few shots in the air. There were no casualties. AMERICAN REPORT DENIED. LONDON, April 6. Dublin Castle emphatically' denies the American reports of a massacre in Ireland, and states that 153 persons vacated the barracks which were destroyed. Their destruction entails a heavy burden on the taxpayers. AN EX-SOLDIER MALTREATED. LONDON, April 5. A number of masked men on Sunday night savagely maltreated with sticks an ex-soldier employed as a lodge-keeper at the Summerhill nunnery in Athlone. They then tied him to a tree. The victim bit through the rope and crawled home in a serious condition. MENACE IN AUSTRALIA. LONDON, April 5. Dr Alexander Leeper, of Melbourne, in a letter to the Spectator, describes the growth of Sinn Feinism in Australia. He declares that the Roman Catholic Irish are politically the best organised and most united section in the community, and through a working alliance with Labour they have become a powerful factor in both Federal and State politics. They have also acquired great influence over the Australian press, and few of the leading papers venture to speak of the danger to the Empire which an organised Irish vote involves. Even statesmen do not dare to say in public what they say privately of the movement. Some newspapers during recent elections were stirred out of their reticence, and spoke frankly of the menace. Dr Leeper suggests that the Irish Church should send out a delegation to Australia and New Zealand to enlighten the people with reference to the true character of Irish self-determination. PEACEFUL PICKETING IN AMERICA. WASHINGTON, April 5. Two women who were picketing the British Embassy and advocating the freedom of Ireland were arrested.