IRISH NEWS

New Zealand Tablet, 22 August 1918, Page 30

IRISH NEWS

. j GENERAL. The solemn celebration of the golden jubilee of the Limerick Archeonfraternity of the Holy Family commenced at the Redemptorist Church, Mount St. Alphonsus, on Sunday, June 16. Amongst those attending were = the Archbishop of Cashel and the Bishops of Clogher, -Killaloe, Kerry, Cloyne, Waterford and Lismore, and- Limerick. The 'Mayor of Limerick and members of the Corporation, with the High Sheriff, attended in . State at the High Mass, which was sung by his Grace the Archbishop of Cashel. The Bishop of Limerick preached, and his Lordship referred in terms of high praise to the admirable, work of the . Redemptorist Fathers. He‘.made a touching reference to the late Most Rev. 'Dr. O’Dwyer, who loved, labored for, and was proud of -the A.rchconfraternity. At the conclusion of the Mass a Decree was read by Mgr. Ryan from his Holiness the Pope conferring special indulgences on all the faithful who took part in the celebrations.

, Commenting on the Irish situation in Les A n notes des Nationalities, of Lausanne, a Swiss Catholic publication, after reviewing at some length the situation and what led up to it, says: “It is our wish as Catholics that the question will shortly be solved in equity, fox our sympathies are awakened by the misfortunes of Ireland. We do not forget her sufferings, her attachment to the Church, and her fidelity to the ideal of liberty. We understand her because we have known what it costs to accept the laws of a neighbor when one wants to be master at home. We are certain of her good faith. Many sons of the Emerald Isle in America have crossed the ocean and shed their blood on the fields of France, responding to the appeal of the land of their adoption.” Mr. Joseph Devlin has lately forwarded to the Lord Mayor of Dublin a letter which he received from an Ulster Protestant, enclosing a subscription, which amount he hoped to- subscribe fortnightly, whilst the menace continued, to the National Defence Fund against conscription. The communication reads: “As one of your Protestant constituents in West Belfast, I wish to take the opportunity of thanking you for the firm stand you and the other members of the Nationalist Party have taken in connection with the conscription menace which is at present threatening our country. I may say that J have opportunities of coming into contact with large numbers of Protestants in Belfast and have yet to meet one single person in favor of it, notwithstanding the kindness of our . Ulster Unionist M.P.’s saying we want it. They must know very well that their constituents, with very few exceptions, are strongly opposed to it.” At the second day’s session of the Friends of Irish Freedom Conference in New York, Judge Dan Cohalan, who (says the Boston Globe) was the real leader of the function, declared that Ireland was neither antiBritish nor pro-German, but just Irish. He referred to “our great and splendid leader, President Wilson,” and expressed confidence that America would prove Ireland s true friend in -the struggle for self-govern-ment. . Both President and Congress would favor justice to Ireland at the peace council of the nations. Mr. Herbert Mellows also denied that the Irish people were pro-German, and John Devoy said there was no proGerman plot. Sir Edward Carson has telegraphed to Capt. C. C. Craig, M.P., now .interned in Holland, as prisoner of war, congratulating him on his release from captivity in Germany, and adding: “We are holding the fort. No surrender.” The Westminster Gazette says the message is characteristic of the sender, who' must always be in the limelight. The Dublin correspondent of the Cork Examiner writes; —The subscription list .in connection with the memorial to the late Lieut. Tom Kettle has now been closed, a sufficient sum ; having i been received for the purpose which the committee had in view. The mem-

orial will take the form of a bronze bust, which is now in the hands of' a sculptor. It is also proposed to have a portrait of , the deceased distinguished ‘lrishman painted for . presentation to his family. Much is being made .by > some English journals of the present prosperity of Irish farmers, and the story is being repeated in New Zealand papers. It is imagined by some that the Irish farmer is rapidly becoming a millionaire, and that he can soon retire to peace and plenty, following the example of his New Zealand’confrere. It should be remembered, however, that 56 per cent, of the Irish holdings Contain less than 20 acres, and only 17 per cent, more i than 50 acres. Only 2 per cent, the agricultural holdings exceed 200 acres. There appears to be very little material indeed in the hands of the ordinary Irish farmer out of which to shape a fortune. The usual size of an English farm is from 200 to 500 acres, and no doubt the English farmer is doing remarkably well, though we hear little of it in the papers. Lord French has issued a proclamation on voluntary recruiting which contains the following: “We recognise that men who come forward and fight for their motherland are entitled to share all that their motherland can offer. Steps are therefore being' taken to ensure that as far as possible that land shall be available for men who have fought for their country, and the necessary legislative measure is now under consideration.” It may be of interest to point out that Lord Dudley’s Commission found there was not enough of untenanted land in Ireland to turn the uneconomic holdings into economic ones. Potato blight has already appeared in many districts in Ireland, notably in Dublin and Galway. The newspapers urge spraying at once. This advice seems to be unnecessary nowadays in Ireland, as spraying is as much a part of the tillage operations as moulding, and is carried on whether blight appears or not. , Mr. M. Clancy, of the Limerick Corporation Baths, recently rescued a Highland soldier from drowning there. This was his 15th rescue since his appointment a few years ago. During the Cavan election, which resulted in the return of Mr. Arthur Griffith, now interned in England, Mr. Patrick White, M.P., supported the successful candidate. This action of one of the members

of the Irish Party is much commented on. Some of the provincial papers speak of it as the beginning of the end.

Of recent Local Government elections, .the most interesting was probably that of Mr. William Kent to the chair of the Cork County Council. One of Mr. Kent’s brothers was executed after the late insurrection and another was killed in an encounter with the military and police. Mr. O’Gorman, his opponent, had the Party support, and every nerve was strained to return him. The All-for-Ireland .(O’Brienite) members of the council voted solidly for Kent, who also had the support of many councillors who seceded from the .United Irish League. The voting was 26 to 22.