IRELAND.

Timaru Herald, Issue 170270, 15 July 1920, Page 7

IRELAND.

TRADES UNION CONGRESS.

DISCUSSES IRISH PROBLEM,

By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. 1 Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn. Received 11.10 p.m., Julv 14th. I LONDON, July 13. I Eight hundred delegates, representing five million members, attended a special Trades Union. Congress to discuss Ireland. A lively debate resulted in a, proposal immediately to down, tools to enforce the the withdrawal of troops being decisively defeated. Various unions then offered rjanaeens, the debate finally "ranging round tho National Union of E-aitwavmeii's ievolution proposing a. truce 'in Ireland the Sinn Fein stopping murder and outrages and the- Government withdrawing the army of occupation. When a truce lias been secured an Irish Parliament: to. be created, with full dominion powers. Mr Thomas, supporting this proposal, said there were powerful influences ar, Westminster, whose-, only desire v.-.is to encourage a fight to a. finish. Mr Bromley,, on behalf of the locomotive engineers, .<*vid the mvsr •;- mane tiling would be to say to Ireland "If you. won't listen io reason we wash our hands of you." The railwaymen's resolution was carried by 1,953,000 to 1.759.000. Mr Smillic complained that there was nothing in the railwaymen's resolution to meet the situation if the. Government decline. "I don't recommend direct, action/' ho said, "for fun, but in order to save our brothers in Ireland."

A delegate from the Cotton Operatives' Union opposed the down tools policy, because it was exceeding]v dangerous, and no one knew where- it would end.

The Miners' resolution in favour of a .strike ballot to enforce demands relating to Ireland and Russia was earned 'oy 2,760,000 to 1,736,000. Loud cheers greeted tho announcement of tho figures. In response to questions as to what the voting implied, Mr Thomas, tho chairman, explained that if tho Government refused to agree to the railwaymen's resolution then that of the miners would come into operation. illictFpost. Barry, a fireman on an Atlantic liner, was sentenced io two months' imprisonment at Bow Street fo>- bringing eight letters to England otherwise than through, the post. Tho prosecution said that. Barry was in touch with the Irish revolutionaries in America. The correspondence included a letter from Mr deValera, denving that he had been improperly spending Sinn Fein funds.

William Parry, another seaman, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment on a charge of smuggling arms and munitions for Ireland. " CONSTABLES SHOT DEAD. An armed party ambushed a police motorcar between Cloghane and Dingle, in County Kerry, s,hot' dead two constables, and seriously wounded a. police inspector and tho cha.uffe.ur. Th,-> raiders stole the arms and ammunition. ,