THE IRISH COMMISSION.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11581, 23 May 1916, Page 8

THE IRISH COMMISSION.

LORD WiMBORNE ON KiS DEFENCE. APPARENTLY MERE FIGUREHEAD. United Press Association—'By Electric Telegraph—Oopyrig lit. Received May 22, I p.m. London, May 22.

At the Infill Commission, Lord Wimhorno said his functions were confined to unsolicited advice and energetic representation. Ho found during his tour of the Sonthand West "of Ireland that the Hinn Fei tiers wore everywhere belittled. He often found independent views divergent from thoso of the Executive. He was thinking more of urobablo enemy raids L tlran internal disturhanc s, The garrison was quite inadequate since the departure of the Irish Division to the front at the end of the summer. He urged General French last March to send more men, and he replied th at the War Cilice objected that it would delay the despatch of troops to the front by at least a fortnight. Lord Wimborne told him ho would lie much more comfortable if a'division were sent. During a second interview with General French on tho dOth March, he gave the internal situation in Ireland as the reason more troops were needed. Lord Wimborne added that Birrell always advocated more troops for Dublin. Early iu Ihlh the police reports showed that Sinn Foiners were owning numbers of rifles and witness then suggested their deportation or internmeiu. He mentioned it to Sir E. Carson when ho was Attorney-General, but ho declared that to deport men away from Ireland would be an extreme interpretation of the Defence of the Realm Act. Witness, therefore, favoured internment of suspects and strongly urged the arrest of Sinn Foiners”. He wrote to Mr Birr ell when tbo outbreak occurred that the worst had happened just when wo thought it had been averted. If only wo had acted last night with decision and arrested tho leaders as intended it might have been averted.