IS LORD FRENCH A FOOL?

New Zealand Tablet, 5 December 1918, Page 10

IS LORD FRENCH A FOOL?

Lord French, in a recent address to an Irish Chamber of Commerce, is reported to have used these •words—“l am firmly convinced that prosperity in any country is largely dependent upon firm and impartial administration, accompanied by patient endeavor to discover and remove the causes of unrest. I trust that the Government of Ireland, while I am at its head, will display those characteristics of impartiality and patience.” It is difficult to think (states a Scottish exchange ) that Lord French is a fool. Yet none but a fool or a knave could claim that the Irish administration since he assumed the viceroyalty has been marked by impartiality. The Dublin Castle despots under his control have been partial at every step. They prohibited Nationalist meetings and permitted Orange meetings. They have pursued a policy of calculated provocation which in any other country would have led to physical outbreak. Sinn Feiners have been sent to gaol for marching in military, formation. Orange paraders in Belfast so marched to hear Carson and nothing was done. The arms of the National Volunteers are to be surrendered or seized; the arms of the Carson army are left in the possession of the Carsonites. Lord French has the hardihood, or the purblindness, to call that “impartiality The Carsonites have kept their guns, imported from Germany, and mean to keep them. Carson himself has said so. As long ago as 1914, when Lord French and the Munster Fusiliers —Nationalists to a man —saved the Empire by standing up heroically to the German onset at "a place called Mons,” Carson was speechmaking in Ulster. This is what he said—- " Not a single -gun has gone out of Ulster, nor a single round of ammunition. So long as I am leader I will-.consent to bring in any amount of guns, but I will never consent to a single gun leaving Ulster. I rely upon every man to fight for his arms to the end. Let no man take them from you. I do not care who they be or under what authority they come, I tell you, “Stick to your arms.” And from that day to this, as the Freeman’s Journal assures us, Carson has been literally and strictly obeyed. Our theory of the present government of Ireland remains unshaken. Lord French’s administration docs not want peace unless it be the peace of serfdom. It wants to maintain the Act of Union. The Cabinet which sent him to Ireland wants the same thing. Their method of securing their end is to foster disaffection in Ireland, so long as they can control or overcome it. By this method they hope to sour British public opinion against Ireland. That is their main motive in thrusting conscription on Ireland. And they are succeeding in, that purpose. They ask for 50,000'men. But they could remove from Ireland if they granted Horae Rule the 80,000 men they keep there to maintain the Act of Union. Those men, it is pretended, are necessary to guard against a German invasion of Ireland. But Mr. Redmond offered to garrison Ireland with his National Volunteers, thus releasing for service abroad every regular soldier in Ireland. 1 1 is offer was contumeliously refused. He encouraged recruiting in Ireland —the Prime Minister has confessed it—the British War Office by “stupidity or malignity” spoiled the prospects of recruiting in Ireland. Of course, it never would have suited Irish Unionism if Irish Nationalists had recruited in great numbers. That would have helped Home Rule, and Irish Unionism is out to impede or destroy Home Rule. What wonder, then, if the War Office, which molly-coddled the Curragh mutineers instead of shooting them, acted just as Irish Unionism desired, and cold-douched the Nationalist ardor for recruiting at the outset ? Since then it has been the firm and consistent policy of Dublin Castle to "put between” the Irish people and the democracy of Great Britain. Everything which could disgruntle or disgust the British Home Ruler with Ireland was brought about, A cam-

. 1 'b L b J. '-. . ■ , . . ) paign of calumny against Ireland was inaugurated, and with deplorable result. Even Liberals who a year ago were sound Home Rulers are now lukewarm and silent, condoning every outrage against liberty in Ireland which is perpetrated by Dublin Castle in its endeavors to provoke the Irish people. So the poison works. Fortunately the Irish Party is back at Westminster, and can there provide some antidote to the poison gas disseminated against Ireland. Even with a gagged or kept press Westminster provides a sounding board which sends its echoes to the ends of the earth. If the Irish Party cannot prevent the misgovernment of Ireland it can at least oppose it. And if the British bourgeois class condones Ireland’s betrayal we can appeal to the democracy for justice. We have faith in the British democracy if only the truth can be brought home to. it. That is a duty in which we can all help.. Let us get busy at it.