IRELAND AND THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 27, 26 October 1918, Page 9

IRELAND AND THE WAR

■ « _ (To tho Editor.) Sir,—Mr. Johnston evidently scorns to be accurate on such important questions as Home Eule. He would have us believe that, during the forty years he resided in Ireland, ho never heard of such an event as tho famine. In fact, he doubts very much if there was a' famine in Ireland. In his apology for good John Russell he says that the means of communication were responsible for the inactivity of the' British Ministers. Now, the British Government could not end the famine without enacting laws detrimental to the English cotton manufao■tutors, and thereby discouraging thw growth of English industries. Wher, the agricultural revolution took place in England the peasant farmers found* employment in the "factories, but in Ireland there were no factories, for the Irish landlord preferred to send the product of his sheep-walk to his own factories in England rather, than encourage Irish industries'. Yet, Mr. Johnston tells us that the Irish peasant'enjoys the same privileges as tho New Zealand citizen. The statement that Ulster is not quite as, .poor as the,,other... provinc-ps is. certaintly a misrepresentation of facts. In 1911 the income-tax per head of jpopula•tion was as follows:—Ulster, £5 Us. 9d.; •Leinster, .£lO Ss. 9d.; Munster, , Connaught, £3 13s. 7dIf the majority of the Ulster population is opposed to Homo Rule, how is it that the.iUnionst M.P:'s are in 'tho minority, and were in the minority in tho days w'hen the -franchise was based on proporty? To-day the -Catholics of the south extend the hand of friendshin to .their brethren, in the north, and there is every indication that they are breaking down old barriers. Tf Mr. Johnston wishes to see the strifo of centuries ended, let him endorse the sentiments of broad-minded Protestants who believe in the principles ,of self:determination.—l am, etc, 1 P.'SCANLAN. October 21.