SPEECH BY THE PREMIER.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14545, 25 October 1917, Page 6

SPEECH BY THE PREMIER.

A DIFFICULT ASIJ DELICATE

SIT CATION.

SINN FEIN CONSPIRACY WITH

GERMANY

GOVEItSMJENTS CONVENTION

PLEDGE.

"(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association)

(Received Oct.. '24, 11 p.m.)

London, Oct. 24

Air Lloyd George i-.aid Ihe .situation in Ireland wa-s most difficult and most, delicate. Mr Duke had striven Jus ut■jnost to avoid any provocation which would endanger the. usefulness of the" Convention. Mr do Valora.\<s speeches were cold-blooded incitements to rebellion.- Ir, wp.s essential tJicU, »,hf- Government «liouKT-givo a cioar indication that they would -not allow tlio^'ispt.-eches to ■be repeated, Uennnnv oni'c nearly succeeded in hMidiujj: arms in Ireland to aid a- rebellion, and the Government "knew that arrangements- were. being JBiade for Germany to land ;i"ms again from America. There had broa a. delib-j crate attempt to enlist., t-v.f-01, ;:nd or-| ganise Imndi'eils ;>[ thousand;., of young Irishmen preparatory to landing'; arms. If they had 'noon Englishmen they would lave been compulsorily enlisted in the Army. The S'ein Fciners1 idea of Home llulo was not self-govern-ment, but complete secession from! (England. We could not possibly agree to that. (Cheers). He was willing to £;ive an undertaking that if the Convention arrived at a substantial agreement the Government would use their! ,v;iole power to translate the agree-' xnent into an Act of Parliament. Such a Bill would be put through, immediately. Mr Dillon interjected: This is very important. Will tho Prime Minister pledge the Government immediately ;fche Convention comes to an agreement to embody it in a BUI and pass it through Parliament- as •soon as possible? Mr Lloyd George: Certainly. This lias always been the Government's intention.