THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 December 1921, Page 2

THE IRISH PROBLEM.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. FIGHT IX TYRONE. LONDON, Dee 21. i Consequent on the Derry kidnapping, ' police and Republicans {ought a pitched I battle at Sperain Valley, Tyrone, where the Republican camp is situated. Six I Republicans were killed and twenty I wounded. The police seized ten roadmaking machines, and u quantity ol arms and munitions.

CRITICISM OF TREATY

BY ONE OF ITS SIGNATORIES. LONDON, Dec. 21. Mr Gavin DufFy, in the Dail Eireann said: “The Treaty has the vital defect of thrusting an alien King upon us, a King who must necessarily symbolise our "seven centuries of just anger and resentment. AY edo not desire to minimise that effect, but it ought not to be exaggerated.” The Treaty, however, gave them what they had not enjoyed for centuries. Mr . Duffy held that any Government worthy of the name could place a foreign king at a considerable distance

from the people. Air Dully added: “Our delegates on December 4th, broke definitely with Air Lloyd George. They resumed on | December sth. After four and a-half hours of a conference, our representatives came to our headquarters, and they declared that four times they had almost broken with Air Lloyd George, and that the. fate of Ireland must be decided that night, as Mr Lloyd George had shown them the British ultimatum” (as cabled). Mr Duffy emotionally added: “I shall never forget that night of anxiety. Everyone who heard Air Lloyd George believed that he meant all he said, I wonder whether you realise the monstrous iniquity thereof. Our complaint is, not that the alternative to the Treaty was immediate war, but that we, who were qualified apostles of peace had to become the unequalled arbiters of war. AY’e had to decide within three hours, without reference to our Government or our people. “That man,” continued Air Duffy “who had invited us under his roof to make a friendly statement, puts us in the position that if we did not all sign, hordes of savages would have been let loose in Ireland to trample, torture and crucify us. Thus we were faced with the alternative of saving either our national dignity or the lives of the Irish people. That is why I signed! I do not love this Treaty more now than

when I signed it; hut I do not think it is an adequate motive for rejection to point out that some of us signed' it under duress. Alv heart is with the . rejectionists! My reason, however, ’ against them; because there! is no ra- i tionul alternative. If the Dail Eireann rejects the Treaty it is a gamble what will happen next. No serious man ' wants a plebiscite, which would only • rend tho country from end to end, ; stirring memories oT bitterness and j

of acrimony lasting for generations. No one who has seen it wants a renewal . of the war without a clear prospect : of getting further than we have now reached. I urge you to ratify with, the most dignified protest that Dail Eire- j aim can utter, because I cannot do ■ otherwise in the interests of the peo- ’ pie.”

Mr Duggan said: “1 went to the fateful conference. I was not threatened by Air Lloyd George. He did ; not shake papers in my face. With the fullest consciousness of my responsibility to Dail Eireann, to the living and to the dead I stand by my signa ture!” EVEN DIVISION FORECASTED. LONDON. December 21. Some members of the Dail Eireann who are in a position of authority forecast that there will he an equal division on the Treaty. They state that the antiTreatv groups have win many adherent’s during the debate. They also say a number of members will vote against the Treaty, if they can ho sure that it will be carried, as tliev want the glory of opposing it without the consequences.

EXTORTED SIGNATURES. LONDON, December 22. A feature of the last sitting of Dail Eirevnil were the speeches of Mr Duffy and Mr Duggan and the divergence between the two. Mr Duffy who is one of the quietest and most dignified of' the delegates said that his signature to the Treaty was extorted by the threat of civil war. hut Mr Duggan scoffed at the suggestion.

TWO ENGLISH SINN FBINERS. LONDON, Dec. 22. In the Dail Eireann, Mr Erskine Childers, distinguished himself by the venom of bis speech, and his continual interruptions. Professor Stockley, who is another Englishman, in a semi-coherent speech, punctuated by shrieks of anger, declared that the treaty ‘‘should colour the face of every Englishman with shame.”

MOTH SIDES UNYIELDING. LONDON, December 22. In the 10nil Eireann it appears that the debate on the Treaty will continue until every member lias spoken Neither side is willing to give the other the slightest advantage. At the adjournment out of 30 speakers, so far, 1G members had spoken in favour of ratification, and 14 against On Mr de Valera’s proposal a vote will take phut* to-morrow. Mr A. Griffiths has suggested that the speeches in future be limited to 15 minutes each.

CRAIG EXPLOITS INCIDENT.

LONDON, Dee. 22. It is the Northern Government that took resolute action in Derry County. This action is a great shock to the Sinn Feiners of County Tyrone and Derry City. Hearing that the armed bands of Sinn Feiners forced labourers, farmers, and even a professional at the revolver point to follow them, Sir Jas Craig determined to act strongly. Before daybreak, the police in a number of districts were ordered to concentrate in the Glenellv Valley. They did so, and ran down the Republicans, finding them in an old Hibernian Hall. When the Sinn Feiners left

the road, however, they took to the mountains. The Ulster police then left tlieir motor cars, and followed. Thirteen men quickly threw up their hands. These, however, proved to be the men who were kidnapped. The police, therefore, continued their hunt. They were subjected to a fusilade from hills. The police replied vigorously. A number of casualties are reported.

ULSTER DISTURBANCES. LONDON, December 22. A Sinn Fein gang in Feeny, County Derry, Ulster ,operated over a wide tract and took 15 men prisoners, in press gang fashion ,and removed them to an unknown destination. The ginn Feiners, however, attempted to divide hut the police arrested five and then instituted a house-to-house eeaifch. They report having unearthed a re golar bomb arsenal manufacturing plant and other requisites of warfare on a big scale. They later rescued the men, who said they had been taken from bed and compelled to tramp hills, coly being allowed bread and water.

LOOTERS RENEW RAIDS. LONDON, Dec. 22. The isolted looting raids were renewed in the east end of Belfast city last night, and the police describe the Bally macarrett area as being in a state of “sheer Bolshevism,” Some members of the Dail Eireann state that the rank and file of the Republicans are reorganising the Sinn Fain Clubs on a revolutionary basis, and that some battalions of the Irish Republican Army are openly threatening what they will do if the Treaty is rati, tied,

UNITED IRELAND SOUGHT, . LONDON, D<jd. 2l In the Dail Eireann, Air Cosgrove said that he preferred Dominion Home Rule to a Republic for 26 Counties, because it made unification fof Ireland possible. Air Cosgrove s: lid that the Treaty bad not sacrificed any vital principle. If the rejectionists were willing to accept the people’s decision, then possibly an agreement would be attainable. AIISS AIcSYVEENBF. LONDON, Dec. 22. Aliss AlcSweeney, sister of the late Lord Afayor of Cork (Terence AlcSweeney who died in Brixton Gaol) in the Dail Eireann denounced the Treaty. She spoke for 160 minutes. Afiss McSweeney described Lloyd George as “an unscrupulous trickster.” Not one Government in Europe, she said, trusted his work. “1 shall lie the first to rebel under this Treaty,” she declared. “You will have the pleasure, or pain, of imprisoning me. Air Collins lias made a treaty that may he acceptable to many, but if Air Collins went to hell to-morrow, would you go with him?” There were loud cries of “Yes!’ Miss AlcSweeney:' ‘Well, I have no-

thing to say to men who would be willing to transfer tbeir allegiance from God to the devil at Alichael Collins’s behest!” Miss AlcSweeney’s speech was the longest and the most eloquent thus far delivered in Dail Eireann. She is a cultivated woman. She indulged in uvery device, of oratory. Her moods, included humour, irony, indignation, and pathos. She was dressed in deep mourning. Slip held her audience For the whole of two and a half hours. fit one telling passage she turned towards Afr Collins, and held out her hands appealingly, saying: “Don’t he fooled! You can heat Lloyd George in the field, and in the opinion of the world; but don’t be such a fool as to j think you can beat him in trickery!”

JAPANESE PEERS VIEWS. NEW YORK, Dec. 21. According to the “Philadelphia Ledger’s” Tokio correspondent, the leaders hi the House of Peers have attacked the work of the Japanese delegation at Washington, during the bearing of the Budget proposals. In answering them, M. Takahuslii declared that Japan had yielded on the naval ratios, in return for America’s concessions respecting fortifications. The Minister for Marine, M. Ide, said that while it appeared that at Washington their delegation was compelled, by circumstances, to accept the GO per cent ratio, tlieir naval authorities. in laving tlieir plans to meet the situation, hope for increased efficiency in the craft, which would offset any loss in tonnage.

DAIL EIREANN. ADJOURNED TO JAN. 3. Received This Day at 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 22. The Dail Eireann lias adjourned till January 3rd.