IRELAND

Southland Times, Issue 17971, 12 March 1917, Page 5

IRELAND

VIEWS OF NATIONALISTS. PROPOSAL IMPOSSIBLE. SITUATION “TERRIBLY SERIOUS.” (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, March 9. The Nationalists passed a resolution that Mr Lloyd George’s speech took up a position which involved the denial of self-government to Ireland for ever, and laid down the principle that a small minority in Ulster should veto self-gov-ernment for a united Ireland. That is a position to which the representatives of Ireland can never assent. Mr Lloyd George asserted that he had never changed his position on this question of the so-called coercion of Ireland. This is not true. He was a party to drafting the original Home Rule Bill which applied to all of Ireland, He was a party to the rejection of amendments excluding Ulster. When under pressure Mr Lloyd George and his Government weakly yield to Sir E. Carson’s threats of rebellion. We agreed, on Mr Lloyd George’s pledge, that the Government would see a settlement through at any cost. The negotiations in July referred strictly to a temporary war arrangement with the express understanding that a year after the war the thing would revert to the status quo ante. Mr Lloyd George's speech undoubtedly tended to intensify the distrust of British pledges. That distrust was now so widespread In Ireland that it had a most serious effect in strengthening the power of the revolutionary movement The situation in Ireland and the Empire created by the speech was one of terrible seriousness. The action of the British Government since the coalition in May, 19X5, made the task of carrying on the constitutional movement in Ireland almost impossible. The position can yet be saved, but only by the active assistance of all levelheaded Nationalists in Ireland and the aid of millions of the Irish race in the dominions and the United States. To them we appeal most earnestly to aid those who rescued Ireland from being Germany’s catspaw and tool, and were now struggling against terrible odds to keep open the road to Irish liberty til rough peaceful and constitutional means—a struggle wherein we are hampered by the British Government, which plays into the hands of Irish pro-German revolutionaries with stupid perversity worthy of the worst re-actionaries.

ACTIVE OPPOSITION. LONDON, March 9. The Daily Chronicle says the Nationalists will adopt active opposition and demand two days for discussion of the Irish Estimates and oppose an extension of Parliament’s life. MELBOURNE, March 10. In the- House of Representatives Mr Lynch gave notice of motion of the presentation of a petition to the King praying for a just measure of Home Rule to Ireland. THE COUNTRY CALM. LONDON, March 9. Dublin and the country are calm, realising that another chapter in Home Rule has closed, necessitating the problem being re-approached by new methods and viewpoints. The leaders are restrained and anxious not to aggravate the gravity of the situation. A vast body of moderates will welcome any effort to bring together North and South Ulster. The press dislikes Mr Asquith’s commission proposal, and threaten to refuse any scheme of National Irish service if headquartered in Dublin, because they bitterly resent the official Nationalists’ war attitude.