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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIII, Issue 18, 4 May 1916, Page 27

MEETING IN SOUTH CANTERBURY.

- Timaru, April 29. A representative meeting - of Irishmen from all parts of South Canterbury was held to-day, the Mayor of Timaru presiding. It was resolved to send cables to Mr. Asquith and Mr. Redmond expressing abhorrence of the doings and sayings of the Sinn Fein Society, and assuring them of the wholehearted support of Irishmen in New Zealand, The meeting was held at short notice to arrange for a mass meeting, but so many representative and prominent men attended that ft was decided to act at once.

DENOUNCED BY VERY REV. FATHER COFFEY. Speaking in St. Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin, on Sunday, Father Coffey said he regretted very much, as did all true Irishmen, the riotous outoreak in .Dublin. The worst enemy of Ireland 'could not have selected a more opportune time nor a more effective means to bring the country in disrepute as a riot (because he could call it nothing but a riot) at such a time would be magnified by the enemies' of the country, and especially by the enemies of the allied nations, into a species of rebellion" against lawful authority. When the truth became known he was satisfied that no man of standing or influence in the country would be found in the ranks of the rioters. The Sinn Fein organisation was anti-clerical, and for some years directed all its energy to bring the national movement led by John Redmond into disrepute. It combined with Larkin and the Syndicalists in carrying on the strike riots a couple of years ago in Dublin, when it carried its anti-clericalism to the extent of handing over the children of the Irish "Catholic workmen to English and foreign Protestant agencies. It could truly be said that the movement had been anti-clerical, and to a large extent antiCatholic. Casement and the chief leaders are not Catholics, and never were. While deeply regretting the riots, the rev. preacher said he was not surprised that some such thing should happen. The Government had shown weakness in dealing with the legitimate Irish grievances. They had allowed the enemies of Ireland before the war, in the person of Sir E. Carson, and since the war in the person of Sir Roger Casement, to go to Germany and treat with the Kaiser and the war party in Germany regarding the possibility of assistance in the ' case of a rising in Ireland; and by showing such ' weakness had encouraged the professional agitators, to be found in Ireland as in any country, to carry on their nefarious work. He did not consider .this riot in.lreland as one bit worse than the strikers in the coal mines and amongst the munition workers at such a time of crisis' in the Empire. No man regretted, such - outbreaks more than he did, and he hoped the practical , result of the indignation which arose in the heart of every i lover of his country would be the enrolment of more men | ready to do battle for their country, until this war ' ended in the victory of the Allies. He said he was pleased to recognise the just and liberal spirit of the press ,in not stirring up ill-feeling or striving to make political "capitali out of a very regrettable incident.

- ( A , London cable message, , under date May 1, says the first offer to surrender came dramatically at 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. As the cordon, slowly closed on the rebel's main, strongholds in the Sackville, street . area,' sud-

denly a white flag appeared above the smoke at the Post. Office. ; Pearse" and Connolly (previously reported killed), who were badly wounded, emerged and signed an unconditional surrender. One thousand prisoners have been taken in Dublin. Half the number have been deported to England. The city is safe. The first large catch "of surrenders took place at the Parnell statue in Sackville street on Sunday morning, 450 rebels giving themselves up- ■ ■. -■ :.£■/ - : .•'.' \ v " ; '\ ; ■ : , rHalf of Sackville street is in ashes. The handsome shops and business houses are in ruins, and almost the only things untouched are the monuments. The deaths number hundreds.