NEWS BY MAIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1920, Page 4

NEWS BY MAIL.

TROOPS FOR IRELAND. SPECIAL STEPS TO SEND MORE REINFORCEMENTS. LONDON, May 15. Proposing the toast of “ Tile Armed Forces of the Crown ” at the Newspaper Press Fund dinner last night, Lord Birkenhead, the Lord Chancellor, said that the Royal Irish Constabulary were marked out as the victims of a cowardly and murderous gang of assassins. “ 1 cannot speak here to-night of what the Executive have done,” he continued, “ or tell you of the conclusions they have reached, but 1 can tell you this—that, as a Government, we have decided to reinforce these men by every means in our power. (Cheers.) We have taken special and wholly exceptional steps to-day so that at this moment so indeed we may hope not one of these men in their brave and heroic work will be left unattended by one or other of the members of those forces to whose services we have just referred (the armed forces of the Crown), and we trust that, by the means we have taken, the practices of assassination and anarchy in Ireland which classes of desperate men seem to think strong enough lo destroy the Empire a tits heart, will he defeated and the integrity of the Empire our sons fought for maintained.” (Cheers.)

EX-SOLDIERS’ FARMo. GRANTS DELAYED BY SINN FEIN THREATS. DUBLIN, July 11. Tlie Government’s policy of distributing land to Irishmen who lmve served in the war has met with a serious check, and so far cannot be put into operation to any great extent. The Estates Commissioners and the Congested Districts Board have acquired land, hut have mot with trouble in its distribution. They fought, for example, the Concannon Estate at Aghnnahill, County Galway, and tile officials have been receiving threatening letters promising bloodshed if soldiers get any of the land. The intimidation is so acute that it is evident the work of settling the soldiers cannot be carried out except by sending serving soldiers to protect the farms of the ex-soldiers.

Mr Bonar Law announced in Parliament yesterday that the Government still adhered to their determination to complete land purchase in Ireland con currently with the passing into law of the Government of Ireland Bill.