WAGES OF MURDER

Hokitika Guardian, 28 January 1921, Page 1

WAGES OF MURDER

SIR HAMAR GREENWOOD’S DISCLOSURES. LONDON, Nov. 29. The motion of the Labour and vlndepcndent Liberal Opposition to-night condemning the Irish Executive for “attempting to repress crime by methods of terrorism and reprisals’’ drew a powerful defence from the Government, the Chief Secretary for Ireland being their spokesman. “I am doing my best to stop the reprisals and I have succeeded,” claimed Sir Hamar Greenwood. In Dublin on Sunday, after 12 officers had been killed in cold blood, not a single pane of glass was broken. (Cheers). Never in our history had discipline been so sternly maintained under such frightlul provocation. It was a test; of discipline such as everyone otiglit to he proud of. (Cheers). There was the case of Lieut Ilambleton, shot while motor-cycling near Nenagh. 11 is men, wlm were crying when they saw his shattered body, declared, “We are not going to have him killed lor nothing.” On the way back to Nenagh they started firing from the rear of the motor-lorry, and then the officer in cliaige of them jumped down, went to the back of the loriv and covered them with his; revolver, tlireat-

eovereu tnem ruin ms revolver, threatening he would shoot anybody who did not stop firing. The result was that nothing happened in Nenagh except the breaking of a few windows. Recently some of the intonate despatches of the rebels were captured, and these showed that over 17.500 ha been spent on wages of the headquarters staff between duly 10 and .Septemhei

.'lO. In the words of a police report, they pay I'lOO “for the skull of every policeman'or soldier.” Their plans fot the destruction of docks in Liverpoo’ and a power house in .Manchester had also keen discovered. “All that was written in Dublin Ca.itle,’’ cried .Mr Devlin gaily. H “After the experience of Sunday, can I anyone suggest that the Republican

army is incapable of tackling Liverpool docks or .Manchester power-houses?” retorted Sir Hamar serenely. He also told the House that L3,5(l Itjtd been spent recently in Scotland. principally in Glasgow, in buying arms nj'or assassins. THE PERIL. Sir Hamar claimed confidently that the policy of tft»-Government for tlu .suppression of the rebel movement is succeeding, although warning the House that there would be moie bloodshed, and t/'.'il even the servants of tin House might he in peril. But the Sinn Ecin courts were disappearing, the boycott. was broken, tlie hunger-strike was done, the Irish republiean army was being broken-up. Earlier in his speech Sir llamai Greepwood declared that in threeImirths' of Ireland there was as great peace as in Kent. "That’s because there are no troops t lici e.“ iliter ji-ciod M i .1 . Mill . “There are i loops everywhere,” thundered Sir Hamar. The vast majority of the people of Ireland were on the best of terms with the soldiers and police, and there was only a minority of assassins, ulm committed murders, and inspiied questions in the House of ('ominous.

(UPROAR. Tin' io \\ a s uproar a I tills. •'Whom do they inspire I"” inquire* .Mi l)t \ lin, a frequent questioner, am Lieut. Commander .Kenworthy cried '•Do not lie offensive.” The murder gang Ireland, con tinned Sir liaiiinr, sent the Irish Republican Bulletin to persons and tr newspapers in England, and he wa; sorry to say, the National Liberal Federation had issued a chart of so-called n-piisals based on the information in that publiratic n. (Cries of “Shame!”) Mr Asquith was president of that federation. (Cheers and counter-cheers). The murder cane’s list of reprisals was a hideous and monstrous falsehood. They had their representatives in' the lobby of the Mouse; they might be listening to hiin from the gallery. “It is- a loathsome alliance that the men whose hands are red with the blood of gallant soldiers and policemen should come into the lobby and lie allowed to circulate their hideous document. ' “(Jive the names,” cried members excitedly. “Why not put them out?” .Mr Will Thorne shouted: “it the hon. gentleman knows any mendiers associated with the murder gang why does he not name them ?” Sir Hamar: I’m making no allegations. “Stand to your allegations demanded members of the Opposition, and there was a noisy* scene, but Sir Hamar plunged on. Undoubtedly some of the creameries in Ireland had .been. destroyed by .Crown

forces, but they were not always institutions with gaily caparisoned, "dairymaids. (Laughter). Sometimes they were the headquarters of assassins. The creamery at Rallymacelligott was burned down because police had been fired on from it and a party of auxiliaries Had been ambushed there. Further, the manager had been a rebel in 1910, and tinder the Premiership of Air Asquith was sentenced to a year’s imprisonment—(laughter)—and lie had been the organiser of all the raids in the neighbourhood.

.Mr Raffan: Have you arrested him? SOLDIERS’ CHTVALRY.

"Of course we have arrested him,” retorted Sir Hamar sharply. In the manager’s house a wounded Sinn Feincr was found sheltering, and so the soldiers, with their natural chivalry, did not touch the house, although they knew they had been fired at from it. “These are the myn called wilful murderers at the National Liberal Club' h.v the right lion gentleman,’’ said Sir Hamar of Mr Asquith. Mr Asquith who submitted the motion to the House, spoke with moderation. and devoted the earlier part of his .speccel) to a strong reprobation of the crimes of the assassins.

After Sir Hamar Greenwood’s speech it was recognised that the pith had gone out of the debate. It dragged on for some hours.

Col. ."John Ward, who used to he known as the Navvies’ M.P., moved an amendment to the motion, thanking the military and police for their services. (Loud cheers). Jumping up from the Opposition front bench, Gen. Seely said he could not associate himself with the motion. (Coalition cheers). He thought Air Asquith was wrong on this occasion, tCheers). Tin* Chief Secretaiy said he was stopping reprisals, and lie must accept that for truth. Col. J. Ward’s amendment was carried by 303 to 83, and the motion, which in its amended form condemned the outrages committed against the forces of the Grown and civilians and thanked the military and police, for their courage and devotion, was carried without a division amid loud cheers.