IRISH NEWS

New Zealand Tablet, 24 October 1918, Page 31

IRISH NEWS

GENERAL. . ... , .-. The Morning Post unofficially announces the death in action of Lieut. Ulick A. Moore, Connaught Rangers (reported missing on March.2l), second son of Col. Maurice Moore, Commandant National Volunteers, and grandson of the late G. 11. Moore, M.P., of Moore Hall, Mayo. ~? The question of Galway as a Transatlantic port was brought before the Chief Secretary by a deputation recently. He expressed sympathy with the views laid before him and promised to bring the matter before the Reconstruction Commission, which would have a special Irish sub-committee. Speaking at Blackrock (Co. Dublin) Mr. Dillon, M.P., said he was prepared to prove that the Home Rule Act contained '"all the germs of full fiscal autonomy and Dominion Home Rule." The Irish Independent in a leader says that Mr. Dillon has learned nothing from experience but that he has now a different Ireland from the Ireland of 1912-14. The late Most Rev. Dr. O'Dwyer left personal property valued at ,£2306. Probate has been granted to Most Rev. Dr. Hallinan and Very Rev. D. Keaue, President St. Munchin's College, Limerick. Testator left £SOO to the Sisters of Charity of St. Paul, Selly Park, Birmingham, and directed that 400 Masses shall be said for the repose of his soul. The- residue of his property he left to the Catholic Bishop of Limerick for charitable purposes. CROAGH PATRICK. The pilgrimage to Croagh Patrick took place on Sunday, August 28. For the first time since the great pilgrimage was revived by the. late Archbishop of Tuam, 15 veal's ago, there were no railway facilities. The restrictions on motor cars were rigidly enforced, only those carrying priests being permitted to pass, and this led to the pilgrimage being confined to the people of Connaught. The ascent of the mountain was begun over night, and the earliest pilgrims arrived with break of day, among them an elderly man on crutches. Masses were celebrated at the oratory from seven till noon, and there were a record number of Communions. At the principal Mass a sermon was preached in Gaelic, and the prayers that were afterwards said were in the native tongue. Father Walshe, who preached the English sermon, said that Croagh Patrick, standing firm against the hurricanes of centuries and the storms of the Atlantic, might be compared to the faith of the Irish people, which had weathered every disaster and stood firm. "POLICY OF EXASPERATION." This is the kind of way the Government treats its brave Catholic soldiers who have fought and bled for the Allied cause: denies them the unspeakable comfort and sweetness of having Catholic objects of piety and devotion in their dreary prison life (states the Glasgow Observer of August 17). We give the following press report of Mr. Swift Mac Neill's recent enquiry (himself a Protestant) and the answers: Mr. Swift Mac Neill raised in the House of. Commons the question of the detention of religious emblems sent to Catholic prisoners of war by asking the Under Secretary of State for War whether he was aware of the indignation and resentment felt by Irish Catholic prisoners of war in German and other enemy hands, their parents, and other near relatives at the action of the English censor in refusing to allow religious emblems sent to these prisoners to afford them consolation in their captivity to be forwarded to them ; and' whether the Government had considered the preenlistment and would he give immediate directions that this irritating practice should be terminated. „

Mr. Macpherson said he regretted that -the- regulation could riot be relaxed. If application to send such emblems were made to the Postal Censor it would bo carefully considered.• .....--, A Why Not Relax It Mr. Mac Neill asked why should not the regulation be relaxed. Did not Mr. Macpherson know that the regulation was an insult to Catholics, and if he did not know, would he ask the right hon. gentleman (Lord Edmund Talbot) sitting beside him Mr. MacphersonThere is no affront intended - at all. Mr. Mac Neill—ls it not part and parcel of the policy of exasperation not to allow these people the consolation of religious emblems ? Mr. Macpherson—No, sir. There are equally strict regulations on the people of this country. Sir F. Flannery—Could the reasons why these emblems may not be sent be given Mr. Macpherson—Yes. There is a very sound reason, but it would be too long to explain now. Part of the Malignities. Mr. Mac Neill—ls not this part and parcel of the War Office "malignities" described by the Prime Minister? It is a great scandal. Mr. Macpherson said that the question of malignancy or insult did not come into the qeustion. It was purely a strict rule passed in the interests of the country by a censor who knew his duty. Sir R. Adkins asked whether Mr. Macpherson could not indicate the general character of the reasons for this rule. Mr. Macpherson said that if application was made in the proper way the question of allowing the emblems to pass through would be considered. Mr. Devlin—lf I ask the right hon. gentleman ix the proper way will he do it? Mr. MacphersonCertainly. Mr. MacNeill—Will you circulate this in the press ? Mr. Macpherson said he would give any information that he could.. > ;V Mr. MacNeill—At once? Mr. Macpherson—Yes. . . .- It is all very well to promise to reconsider the Censor's prohibition but why was it ever imposed ? We are aware that there is a very strong anti-Catholic current running at present: is this a part of it? Is there some Protestant authority a%kthe back of it all trying to deprive Catholics of their religious rights and privileges ? Do they suspect treason in crucifixes and rosaries? The truth, is, that if the Government had deliberately set out to exasperate and madden the Irish and Catholics, they could - not have done it better than they are doing at present. Ireland is held in the grip of British military law; and the latest monstrosity of its. rule was that no football or hurling matches were allowed ! What earthly purpose can (be served by interfering with a sporting people's sports? It simply irritates and .inflames them more than ever against England—that is all. Possibly this idiotic prohibition has also been removed by now ; but surely British rulers in Ireland ought to have more sense than to put in force blundering, persecuting measures-of the kind. It is no marvel that many people believe that the Carson-controlled Cabinet have no other end in view than to drive Ireland to desperation so as to cover up their own incompetence to solve the ; Irish question. ;. ''-.-.■ ;. -" v-^.V