IRELAND.

Timaru Herald, Volume CVII, Issue 16525, 22 April 1918, Page 11

IRELAND.

SINN FEIN MANIFESTO,

(Australian and N.Z. Cab7e Assn ) UoR . ~ . L °NDON, April 19. lhe Sum Feaners' Conference issue.! a manifesto denying the right of any external authority to impose conscription on Ireland, and statins that the passing of the Man Power Bill must be legarded as a declaration of war on Ireland and a direct violation of tho rights of email nationalities. Tho manifesto adds: "Wo invite aU to reeist by the most effective means possible."

SITUATION DANGEROUS,

ANH-CONSCTUPTION ORGANISED,

THE CHURCH AT ITS BACK.

Received 5.5 p.m., April 21st,

LONDON, April 20. Tho situation in Ireland is becoming increasingly dangerous. Crime and lawlessness had temporarily s i mmered down, v but there are indications that a great storm is brewing. The fact that the Church haa taken over control and will throw its entire weight into the struggle is regarded as of great significance. Maynooth, Waterford and other theological colleges have been disbanded in order to concentrate on arrangements in connection with an anfc:conscription pledge. Labour people have declared a general holiday on Tues' day to enable workers to sign the pledge. Meetings in protest have been organised all over the country. Tho prejudices of the people of sputhern Ireland, where the Sinn Fein is highly I organised, are fed by the wildest' stories regarding the r-rogress of tho' fighting. The Irish Catholic Hierarchy, after the Maynooth meeting, passed a resolution ihat the Irish people possess the right to resist conscription by all means consistent with God's will, and also ordered the announcement in every church on the 21st April of anti-con-scription meetings at which a pledge will "be taken to resist consoription by every means. A Dublin conference decided to prepare a statement of the Irish ease against conscription for presentation ta the world, and requested the Lord I Mayor of Dublin to proceed to Wash- ' ington, to personally present the easel to President Wilson. I

REBELLIOUS ACTIONS.

("The Times.") T A Dubln correspondent wires that ironmongery shops in Drogheda wore raided and large quantities of ammunition &tolen. Masked and armed men at. Wesdbrd, held up a surveyor's motor oar and rein oved 250 pounds of gelignite and other blasting material.

CARSON'S DICTUM.

Sjr Edward Carson sent a. message to the Belfast Press:—"Our dear duty ia to Bupport pur gallant soldiers at the front and resist any Home Rule Bill "degrading Ulster."

•A BY-ELECTION STTIAW.

Dr MacArtan, a Sinn Feiher, was returned unopposed for, Tullamore.