IRISH TURMOIL

Otago Witness, Issue 3495, 1 March 1921, Page 24

IRISH TURMOIL

SINN FEIN CAMPAIGN. LONDON, February 21. A party of Harnpshires surprised armed civilians in a house at Midleton (Cork). The civilians broke into parties, some taking positions in the garden and others firing from the house. The fight lasted two hours, 15 civilians being killed and eight taken prisoner, including three wounded. One soldier was wounded. The man who was found in a carriage of the Irish mail 'train at Willesden Junction was a brother of the ex-Sheriff of Cork. He received a threatening letter some time ago, accusing him of espionage. In addition to Connell’s farm, near Slab bereen, an armed gang of civilians visited a neighbour named Sweetnam. They enticed him outside, telling his wife that he would goon return. Sweetnam was shot. He rushed into the kitchen, whither the gang followed him and shot him again fatally. The same reason was given as m Connell’s case. A party of men attacked with revolvers four auxiliaries who were motoring to Dublin. The auxiliaries pursued the attackers afoot, but the Sinn Feiners, sheltering behind women and children, escaped. Armed men attacked 10 soldiers at Kilkenny. Two rebels were killed. An unarmed civilian was severely wounded. The military at Blackwater, in Clare, fired a volley at a number of youths who refused to halt when called upon, and two brothers, aged 18 and 14, were killed. SEARCH IN DUBLIN. LONDON, February 20. The military discovered the headquarters of the Republican army m South Frederick street, Dublin, and secured v number of important documents. Twelve lorry-loads of soldiers and five armoured cars surrounded the mission house of the Jesuits in Millstown Park, Dublin, while the fathers were in retreat. An exhaustive search of the premises has begun. February 22. The Chief of Staff of the Republican Army had a narrow escape from capture in the raid on Dublin headquarters. The military found a cup of tea on his desk and also an unfinished letter to his wife. Bloodhounds failed to find the scent. He had a previous narrow escape in his night clothes. GOVERNMENT’S POLICY ATTACKED. SIR HAMAR GREENWOOD’S DEFENCE. LONDON, February 21. In the House of Commons Captain Wedgewood Benn (Liberal), in moving an amendment to the Address in Reply charging the Government with failing to repress crime in Ireland, and with involving the Forces of the Crown in competition in crime with the Sinn Feiners, said that Sir Hamar Greeirvvood was creating new capital offences for which people were executed. Sinn Fein hostages were used as fire screens for the military. Sir Hamar Greenwood systematically employed the population for the purpose of restoring order. This policy was doing much to threaten the security of the Empire. Commander Kenworthy seconded the amendment. Sir Hamar Greenw’-ood, in replying, denied that Great Britain was suffering from loss of esteem abroad owing to the stand it was making for civilisation n Ireland. Their own colonies recognised that the British Government was trying to put down the campaign of assassination. Despite the Sinn Fein orgv of blood, Ire land had enjoyed unexampled prosperity since 1914. Sir Hamar Greenwood read a Sinn Fein memorandum captured on Saturday, outlining a scheme for the de struction of property in England, includ ing ships, coal mines, gasworks, aqueducts, farm crops, telephones, and telegraphs. Hi the House of Commons Sir Hamar Greenwood indignantly denied De Valera s statement that the Crowm Forces were guilty of any outrages on women. Even the Labour Party’s Irish Commission admitted that not more than 1 per cent, of l the constabulary were bad. Considering I the danger these men were placed in, this I w'as a superb compliment. Every man in | the Crown Forces who was accused was ; brought to trial. It was found that most of the accusations were false. The reason that there were more casualties in the Crown Forces was that the soldiers were now not held up in barracks, but were fighting for the authority of the Crown, and were succeeding. The Irish Repubh can army was confined to certain areas. The Government had broken the reign of terror in two-thirds of Ireland.

Lord Robert Cecil, rising in the front Opposition benches, was greeted with Liberal and Labour cheers. He urged the Government to send to Ireland a distinguished judge, an English general, and a member of the House of Commons to inquire into the acts of violence by the Black-and-Tans and other auxiliaries ; also the burning of Cork. He urged the Government to abandon the whole policy of reprisals. Mr Henderson said that Labour was strongly in’ favour of peace negotiations between the Government and the Sinn Feiners. Spea-king in the House of Commons, Mr Asquith said : “ The Chief Secretary accuses me of being an apologist, an • abettor, and an accomplice of crime.” Sir Hamar Green wood, interrupting, said : 11 I made no such accusation. I said the speeches unwittingly encouraged the Sinn Fein.” Mr Asquith : “That is a compliment to my character at the expense of my intelligence. I never made a speech without denouncing the methods of the Sinn Fein. I have 1 een called a pro-German and a Bolshevist, but I have a lingering hope that my political reputation will still survive. The reprisals are the most discreditable chapter in the whole history of the British Administration. The Government should grant a full and impartial inquiry, and end this butchery.” Mr Bonar Law said that after the If rebellion Mr Devlin had said of Mr Asquith : “No insurrection has been put down with so much bloodshed.”—(Laughter and cheers.) While terror prevailed it might be possible to get evidence against the police, but it was impossible to get evidence in their favour. Only yesterday two witnesses had been murdered. “We shall not restore order in Ireland in a hurry,” added Mr Bonar Law, “ but we shall do it.” Captain Wedgwood Benn’s amendment was rejected by 287 votes to 88, and the Address-in-Reply was agreed to without a division. Mr Devlin called on the Government at least to fight the band of peasant boys who formed the Sinn Fein army fairly and cleanly, and if it could not overcome them, let the British clear out of Ireland. Both the Sinn Feiners and the Government y*ere engaged in a fruitless task. Let the Government invite the Sinn Feiners to meet it and fashion out some plan of agreement. If the moral conscience of the country was not aroused by what was going on in Ireland, public opinion had got into the deadly grip of gross materialism. The famous Opouri-ao Valley, visited by the touring parliamentary party, was once a sheep station owned by three families, and producing £BOOO worth of wool. The land was cut up in 1896 by the State, the purchase price »eing £24-,000. and is now supporting 60 families and prodcucing £1(X),O0O worth of butter and cheese, in addition to stock. Settlers refuse £l2O per acre, and tire country can carry a cow to the acre.