IRISH NEWS

New Zealand Tablet, 4 July 1918, Page 30

IRISH NEWS

GENERAL.

The death, at Cloonane, Mayo, of Miss A. O'Malley, a cousin of "Eva" of the Nation, aged 97, removes a link with the '9B Rising, her father having taken part in the "Castlebar Races," and two cousins fighting with the insurgents at Ballinamuck. One of the latter was executed, but the other escaped to France and became a General in* Napoleon's army. The death of Mr. E. J. Graham, M.P. for Tullamore Division (King's Co.), recalls the fact that his election was a staggering blow to the corrupt methods of electioneering due to the manipulation of conventions in the interests of the Irish Party. The Party candidate was Mr. P. Adams, who was nominated at a "packed" convention, and Mr. Graham as a protest decided to contest the division. Practically singlehanded he fought against a miglity array of Party M.P.'s, U.I.L. organisers, and Hibernians (A.0.H.), and won, after an exciting contest, by 79 votes. The result was hailed with' joy by every independent Irishman. The best decorated officer in the British army is probably Temporary Captain James B. McCudden, R.F.C., an Irishman, who has just won the Victoria Cross. He got the Military Medal while a flight sergeant for destroying an enemy machine and forcing two to land. The Military Cross was won in February, 1917, and a bar to it for destroying five enemy machines and driving down three others in August and September. The D.S.O. was awarded for bringing down in November an enemy two-seater within the British lines, the occupants being made prisoners. lie also fought down from 2000 feet to 100 feet and destroyed another German machine. In the same month he won a bar to the D.S.O. for destroying four enemy machines by his intrepidity and skill. The parliamentary correspondent of the London Star writes: It would be possible, after violent Nationalist protests, to force conscription for Ireland through the House of Commons, but to enforce it "ave, there's the rub." It could be done bv sufficiently large armed forces in Fiance and not in Clare. A fight against conscription would be a struggle between Great. Britain and almost all Ireland. It would be a fight in which Sinn Fein would find on its side the farmers and their sons; the shopkeepers, the clergy, and the Nationalist M.P.'s. As a large part of the Belfast Orangemen are shipyard workers, and therefore protected, the outcry might not be quite so strong there. but the support of conscription in agricultural Ulster would be no stronger among the Protestants than among Catholics. The rage of the conscriptionist organs against the Irish bishops because, they have dared to take their stand with their people against the blood-tax sought to be imposed upon Ireland by a purely British parliamentary majority would be laughable if it were not at the same time exasperating. The (r/ohe and the /Jail// Mail are very anxious that the Vatican should come out with a pronouncement and bring the Irish bishops to the conscriptionist heel. If not, of course, according to their laying down, the Vatican will have shown itself to be pro-Germana charge not now for the first time preferred by certain organs of English opinion. Not long ago publications of this kidney were always ready to fling the jibe at the Irish people that they were Pope-ridden and priest-ridden. If only the Pope would now pursue the path they have so condescendingly marked out for him, the Holy Father would possibly—for the time being at least—rehabilitate himself in their eyes. Even for so high a reward as this we more than doubt that the Pope will condescend to take the least notice of their raucous and rancorous clamor. The intensity of interest with which the present critical state of affairs in Ireland is being watched by the Irish abroad is made very evident by the cablegrams

sent to the Irish leaders from Sydney by his Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Kelly on the part of the Australian Hierarchy. It runs thus: "Considering the persistent failures of successive British Governments to grant Home Rule, in spite of the votes of the British people and the petitions of the Dominions, we, the Hierarchy of Australia, voicing Irish and Australian democratic sentiment, call upon the Government to grant Dominion Home Rule to all Ireland forthwith; and considering the invariable failure of coercion in Ireland we strenuously protest against any attempt of the British Government to conscript Ireland, believing that the most generous and effective assistance will come from the free voice of a free people." The conscriptionists should recognise from this that, in Lord Lansdowne's words, they are - "up against a very stiff fence."

THE FREEMAN'S JOURNAL

Since its reconstruction the Freeman's Journal has lost. £25,000, it was stated at the annual meeting of shareholders on Thursday, March 28, and this included £16,768 odd for 1917. No balance-sheet was submitted. Nationality of April 6 writes: "The loss on the past twelve months' working of the Freeman's Journal publications has swallowed up the bulk of the £63,000 subsidy granted by the, English Government to that infamous newspaper, the circulation of which stands at zero. The total copies printed of all the Freeman's Journal publications—morning, evening, and weeklyin any one week does not equal the circulation of a- sivyle issue of the Independent. In addition to the subsidy of £63,000, the English Government gave a title to one of the directors of the Puck Match Company in consideration of his handing over a sum of money to the Freeman. The state of the concern is now so bad that it must fall to pieces soon unless further Government money is forthcoming. The Government is sympathetic, but it cannot directly hand over funds. However, any person in Ireland who desires a baronetcy and does not mind paying for it may hear of something to his advantage by calling to the office of the Sham Squire's organ.'

CONSCRIPTION FOR IRELAND.

The special meeting of the Irish Hierarchy was held at Maynooth recently, in connection with the conscription proposals of the Government. His Eminence Cardinal Logue presided, and there was a large attendance. The following official report, was issued: —■ Statement on Conscription adopted by the Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland on April 18, 1918. His Eminence Cardinal Logue in the chair. "An attempt is being made to force Conscription upon Ireland against the will of the Irish nation and in defiance of the protests of its leaders. In view especially of the historic relations between the two countries from the very beginning up to the present moment we consider that conscription forced in this way upon Ireland is an oppressive and inhuman law, which the Irish shall have a right to resist by all the means that are consonant with the law of God. We wish to remind our people that there is a higher power which controls the affairs of men. They have in their hands a means of conciliating that Power by strict adherence to the Divine law, by more earnest attention to their religious duties, and by fervent and persevering prayer. "In order to secure the aid of the Holy Mother of God, who shielded our people in the days of their greatest trials, we have already sanctioned a national novena in honor of our Lady of Lourdes, commencing on May 3, to secure a general peace. We also exhort the heads of families to have the Rosary recited every evening with the intention of protecting the spiritual and temporal welfare of our beloved country and bringing us safe through this crisis of unparalleled gravity."