The Crisis in Ireland.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16150, 2 March 1918, Page 8

The Crisis in Ireland.

The disturbing news that has come from Ireland this week will probably surprise most people in this country. Probably thoso aro not very numerous who have been induced to swallow the fantastic idea that Ireland is a peaceful country on which an unnecessary army is quartered, and that the only danger to a successful issue of the Convention's labours is a ferocious Ulster. Only very foolish people relievo that sort of nonsense nowadays. But even those wlio know that tho Sinn Feiners aro turbulent and dangerous, and that they would repeat the 191G rising if they dared, will be shocked to learn the extent of the lawlessness in Clare and in other counties. The latest Irish files, although they abound in proofs of the active lawlessness of the Sinn Feiners—all kinds of broaches of thei Defence of 'tho Realm Act, assaults, robberies, cattle-driving, attacks on the police, attempts to seize arms by violence, and so on —have not. suggested 'tho existence of such, anarchical conditions as are now reported. Some of the happenings described in the cablo news have an extraordinary likeness to the happenings in the Russian provinces. For months past Sinn Feiners havo been seizing and ploughing lands, tho seizures being mado in the name of the Irish Republic, and all that the Government can do is to promise assistance to the victims of the Irish Bolsheviks! Than this, anarchy could hardly go further. Just is the anarchy in the Russian provinces is due to the absence of a strong central Government, able and willing to enforce law and order, so in Ireland the root of the trouble is the continuance under Mr Duke of what has como to be known as "Birrellism." "Birrell- " ism" is tho policy of looking helplessly on at Irish crime and disorder, and pretending either that the" trouble is not serious or that it wijl "blow " over.' : After the 1916 rebellion, " Birrellism" should have been brought sharply to an end; hut although, perhaps, tho Government is under no illusions as to the seriousness of the disorders, it acts as if Mr Birrell were still tho Irish Secretary. Tho uovernment's excuso is, of course, that firm and drastic action 'to repress disorder would dissipate tho delightful atmosphere which it fondly thinks it is preserving for the sako of the Convention. Thoro can be little doubt that the present gravo extension of the Sinn Feiners' campaign of crime and violence is timed in accordance with the strategical calculations of the Sinn Foin leaders. In October last, according to the "Freeman's Journal," Mr do Valera, whose continued immunity from arrest is the most amazing of all the evidences of Government folly and weakness in handling Ireland, stated quite plainly what that strategy includes. " There might," so the "Freeman'B " Journal" reports him as saying at Killaloe, "be a tremendous change on " ono of tho war fronts any day. If "tho Russians made peace the Gorman " army there would be thrown on the | " Western front. France was bled '*' white, and England was fighting until " such time as America thought it wiso " to como in. They never knew what j " might happen duriDg the war. and j " as men and Irishmen it was their " duty to be ready if they got an opportunity of winning their freedom to " tako that opportunity." What more 1 natural than that, with a German offensive coming, the Sinn Foiners j should seek to speed up their lawlessness, with the object of forcing the despatch of more troops to Ireland at a time when every man will be required in what might bo the decisive action in the war? The. Sinn Feiners will also have calculated that when it comes to atmospheres they can competo with all-comers, and can, and will, produce such an atmosphere as will destroy any plan produced by the Convention. To' kill the Convention, and to immobilise two or three more divisions of British troops would

be a substantial double achievement. Cardinal Logue. when asked some timo ago by tho "English Review," for his oninion upon the Irish outlook, roplicd that the success of the Convention was th© only remedy: "If it fails —chaos!'' Cardinal Logue dreads such a result, but the Sinn Feiners do not. Chaos is precisely what they aro aiming at, despite the attempt of the "Manchester "Guardian" —a great paper which has its moments of extreme indiscretion — to reprosent tho crime and disorder ns Ireland's method of providing for itscl f the administration that the Imperial Government is unable to supply.