IRISH PROBLEM.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17111, 5 April 1921, Page 7

IRISH PROBLEM.

THE NEW VICEROY. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE APPOINTMENT. (By Cable—Press Association—Copyright.) (Reuter'i TelegTams.) LONDON,, April 1. Under the Home Rule Act the first duty of the Viceroy will be to summon the two Parliaments in southern and northern Ireland.

The appointment of Lord Edmund Talbot is significant, as he is the leadins'Romall Catholic layman in the King, dom, and abo the first Roman Catholic to be appointed Viceroy of Ireland. (United- Serviced LONDON, April 3. The "Observer" says £he surprising selection of Lord Edmund Talbot as Viceroy of Ireland means a hope of i new and thorough peace and an effort to completely change the Irish policy, or the nomination of the English Catho--Hc involves an error worse than any made -nreviously. The ""Weekly Dispatch'' considers the appointment of a' leading English Catholio layman and 'skilled diplomat a most important step, because_ it synchronises with the Southern Unionist endeavour, through Cardinal Logue, to find a way to peace, arid also with de Valera's unexpected decision to participate in the election under Dominion Home Rule.

MANCHESTER CLUB RAID. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, April 3. As a result of the attempts to burn down hotels, the police raided a club in Erskino street, Manchester. They encountered a- fusillade of bullets. Three policemen were wounded and one civilian was killed and another dangerously wounded. Twenty arrests were made. [An earlier message stated: Sinn Feiners in Manchester attempted to set fire to three hotels, in which they had booked rooms, and also a cafe and twe warehouses by overpowering the caretakers and cleaners in the early hours of the morning, and then sprinkling oil on the premises. All the fires wefe extinguished, little damage being dono. A police constable was shot and seriously wounded while endeavouring to arrest the incendiaries.l

(Received Auril 4th, 5.5 p.m.) " LONDON, April 3. Four policemen in the Jirst instance visited the Erskine Street Club, Manchester. Many armed men opened fire forthwith. One wounded a policeman, whose comrade shot his assailant dead. Tho police scouts posted outside, hearing tho firing, summoned reinforcements. Ono hundred police hastened to the scene in taxi-cabs, and surrounded the Club. The firing lasted a quarter of an hour. Captured document's showed that many of the inmates of the club were active Sinn Foiners. Jars of kerosene, revolvers, and implements similar to those used in'connexion with tho hotel fires were found, also a list of oil works, timber ynrcK and other vulnerable industries in " ""hester.

A E ■ : FATALITY, . (Keuter'a Telegrams.) LONDOX April 2. Following on tho Sinn Fein attack on \\ie Ross Carbery barracks on Thursday last, a child found a bomb among tho debris of the barracks, and handed it to a policeman, why, finding the safety pin (missing, threw it into the crowded street. The bomb exploded, killing two. people, and wounding many others, seven of them seriously. ,

MURDER IN MIDDLESEX. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received April 4th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 3. Golf caddies found the body of a murdered man on the Ashford links, Middlesex, and also a paper warning spies, and signed "Irish Republicans." Tho police declare this may be a "police blind," but the victim's clothes were made m Dublin.

ESMONDE IN CANADA. (Eeuter'g Tomograms.) OTTAWA, April 1. Esmonde, who was permitted t9 land in Canada subject to his proceeding as early as possible to England, addressed a private meeting of members of the Irish Self-Determination League at Vancouver. Ho declared that there were more Sinn Fein nags in Sydney harbour than Union Jacks. He blamed what he characterised as the "drunken viceroy and murderous politicians" for the Irish .troubles.