ITALIAN" PRESS ON THE BRITISH POLICY IN IRELAND

New Zealand Tablet, 7 April 1921, Page 13

ITALIAN" PRESS ON THE BRITISH POLICY IN IRELAND

..., A correspondent -in Rome writes;-? I c,' vj'j y h ft 'k l -. Tt 1 # m * I 1 1 g Italian journals fcontinue to show their interests in Irish events, an interest which arouses some not over dignified manifestations, of displeasure , from certain types of 'Englishmen [in; Rome. [ . • The Carriere d'ltalia for December 10, in an article entitled “Freemasonry and the Irish -Crisis,” points [out the development and activity of English Freemasonry; in 'recent years. English, Freemasonry, -it points out, whatever protestations may be made by it 'or its apologists? is identical in. principle and aims with its more noisy or more open , Continental sister. It notes the all-powerful influence of; Freemasonry .; in English politics and government, especially as regards projects of law purporting to apply to Ireland, and points out that Freemasonry is the only political society which?;.the R.I.C. and D.M.P. were officially i authorised to join. It jemphasises the coincidence between the renewed' activity of English Freemasonry and the increase of savage and in (general the present English policy in Ireland.' “We cannot,” it concludes, “but feel a new thrill -of sympathy for- our Irish brethren, knowing them engaged in a life-and-death struggle against the common enemy.” Even the GiornaJe Italia, usually of decidedly prdEnglish tendencies, in its London correspondence for December 12, remarks that Mr. Lloyd .George, in initiating his policy of terrorism in Ireland “perhaps did not even realise the possibility that the Irish would merely make up their minds to resist it.” | An article entitled “David and Goliath” appears! in the Tempo for December 21 from the -brilliant pen; of Prof. Ernesto Buonaiutti, already well known to Italian •sympathisers with Ireland by the little book, L’lsolaldi Emeralda, in which he and Father. Turchi record their impressions of a visit to Ireland. i “The chronicle,” he writes, “speaks daily of the shir, mishes in which , the war declared by the little David on the giant Goliath is carried on, and of the horrible reprisals which the giant, grown furious, takes on defenceless villages and solitary factories. - The chronicle must prepare to register still more sanguinary encounters and still more eager campaigns. What will Lloyd George s do when the Republic 'of de. Valera, which has already constituted its armies and organised its tribunals, will yefuse to pay the ordained taxes to the Imperial treasury?” In such , a struggle, he concludes, every surprise l is possible. “When the soft warmth of spring is at hand, the winter in its agony loves to let loose all the more furiously . the violence of its - parting blast.”- v ; / ■ The Conquista Fopolare, a Catholic weekly of Verona, publishes an article/entitled “The Shame of Our Age.” It remarks that since the Conquista Fopolare commenced publication a year ago, it has been dealing with the Irish question as one of the points of its programme, as regards international affairs. It notes the, falsifying of information on Ireland through English /agency, in keeping with the policy of England, “whose most certain and uninterrupted tradition is hypocrisy.”. It notes what has been accomplished by French journals to secure genuine information on events in Ireland, and promises to do the same for Italy. “It will be seen,” it adds, “how in the first quarter of the twentieth century of the Christian era the greatest infamy of pur age.: belongs, ' not to the Turks, not to the Japanese, riot to the Chinese, not, to the Russians, not to . . . - the Hottentots, but Ito England—the Paladin, as we know, of Belgium and Serbia and all the small nations of the universe.” ; §’ The Provincial Council of Milan has passed a resolution in favor of Irish independence;*' Similarly the General Assembly-of ' the Italian Popular Party, Roman-sec-tion, has expressed its “wish thatpthe. Directi the Party and the Parliamentary Group take efficacious action in Parliament and through the country in defence of the martyr people against the tyrannical 'oppression capitalistic England.” ■• - jfgfc lf/ aka. It is curious to note a certain coincidence, Vsueh recent manifestations of Italian interest in Ireland)? ahd before the introduction of the Hon. Mauri’s motion in the Italian Parliament, g the price,, of capitalistic England’s coal has been reduced very considerably for the: benefit of Italy. = .iSlu-a ;; v .