The Dominion MONDAY, JULY 26, 1920. THE OUTLOOK IN IRELAND

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 258, 26 July 1920, Page 4

The Dominion MONDAY, JULY 26, 1920. THE OUTLOOK IN IRELAND

Those who long for a peaceful settlement of the Irish question will find cold comfort in the speech by Sir Haiiar Greenwood which, is reported to-day, but the policy outlined by the Chief Secretary is evidently made inevitable by the campaign of murder and intimidation in which the Sinn Fein is engaged. Whatever may havo happened in the past, the position at the- present moment is that tho British Government iB denied by Irishmen an opportunity of doing political justice to Ireland. The bloodthirsty methods of the Sinn Fein amply justify and substantiate Sir Haiiar Geeenwood'3 denial that there is any coercion (by the British _ Government) in Ireland and his assertion that no soldier was there except to preserve life and order. So long as the Sinn Fein is enabled to pursue such methods, the only duty the Government can perform 'in Ireland is that of as far as possible protecting law-abiding citizens and setting limits to criminal violence and disorder. Tho ostensible champions of the Irish cause aro chiefly responsible for all that the people of Ireland have suffered in the recent past, and are deliberately forcing the bitter struggle between the Government a;id Sinn Fein forces which is now in prospect. The wanton futility of the policy of terrorism is sufficiently exposed in the_ fact that, apart from this policy, it is freely open to Ireland to obtain any imaginable political concession that can be given to her as an integral portion of the Empire. _ Undoubtedly public opinion :n Britain and elsewhere is overwhelmingly in favour of Home Rule for Ireland on*a very full and liberal scale. The possibilities of peaceable settlement are not finally set and determined in the Government of Ireland Bill, though the proposals contained in that measure arc of such a nature- that thoy might well havo prompted a friendly response from all parties in Ireland. At the end of last week Mit. Lloyd George was credited with the statement that he was willing to confer on Ireland any form of government within the limpire which was acceptable.to the people as a whole. The only reservation mado by the British Prime Minister was in reference to safeguards for Ulster, and there is no doubt that his readiness to go to all possible lengths in forwarding a settlement would bo endorsed by a considerable majority in the House of Commons and the country.

There is no escape from the conclusion that the only real obstacle to a, solution of the Irish problem is the irreconcilable spirit which is expressed in Sinn Fein terrorism— a spirit which unfortunately is encouraged by people outside Ireland, some of whom are rather concerned to embarrass Great Britain, by prejudicing her relations with the United States and in other ways, than to further the Irish cause, inc hinn i'ein, of course, has shown £?. h? d nnitc openly. As the Chief Secretary has said, it is engaged in an organised attempt to establish an Irish Republic by means of murder and intimidation. Jursuimr; this campaign regardless of the fact that Britain would readily concede to the Irish people all the benefits they could possibly enjoy under a republican constitution, the Sinn Fein leaders make it evident that their essential concern is not the welfare of their own country, but the prosecuting of a vendetta, against England which they are ready to push to the last extreme. Regarded from any other standpoint their campaign 'of terrorism is without meaning. Apart from this aspect of the case, it is self-evident that the British Government, if_ it pave way to the forces of criminal violence in Ireland, would inflict unon that country a greater and deadlier wrong than it has yet suffered in its chequered history. It is impossible to treat with the Sinn Feincrs, not only because they are outlawed bv then* .policy of murder and terrorism, but for the reason that In pursuing this" policy thev have forfeited any claim to speak as representatives of the Irish people. No party which makes terrorism its mainstay has any title to representative authority, and while such conditions as reign in Ireland today are allowed to continue it is idle to_ speak of an unhampered expression of opinion by the Irish people. If it conceded the republican status demanded by the Sinn Fein, the British Government would not bo meeting the wishes of the Irish people, but would be abandoning them to an irresponsible despotism established on murder and intimidation. Whatever the immediate outlook may be, all friends of freedom must endorse Silt Hamah GiiEENwoon's declaration «mt it is the duty of the British Government to break tho Sinn Fein terror and give the Irish people a chance to voice their real views. The best hope in sight at present is that the extreme development of Sinn Fein terrorism in Ireland mo-v prove to be the last desperate effort of a campaign

which in othor directions has visibly fallen short of its intended objective. Apparently the Sinn Fein leaders cntervjincd high hopca of inducing the United States to countenance their pretensions. They have in fact done a, good deal to hinder the growth of friendly relations betweon the _ two main branches of the English-speaking race, h«t the failure of their main effort is seen in the refusal of both the_ Republican and Democratic national conventions to approve the recognition of the Irish "llopubiic" This failure may be not a little accountable for the extreme lengths to which terrorism and_ iutijnidation are now being carried in Ireland,