CORRESPONDENCE THE IRISH UNREST.

Southland Times, Issue 18840, 5 June 1920, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE

THE IRISH UNREST.

To (he Editor. Sir, —1 have read “lonaV two letters and your two leaders and I consider the leaders a fair and impartial criticism of “lona's” letters. And the sentence that “Iona” makes a strong point of is the line of action that is followed and is being followed by the disturbers of the peace in Ireland to-day, true Irishmen being foully murdered because they will not Yd’ow a gang that would be a party that wou'd send Old England to the bottom of the sea as quick as lightning if they had the power. Talk about the tyranny of England! Why there is more freedom in England in the present day than there is in America, where the scum of the earth dwell. The Spanish-Irish-Amcrican is working, to my mind, for a Presidential position in Ireland, or a kingship. “Iona” says: “Belter have Ireland a friendly and free neighbour than one of hostility.” We know that, and every Englishman and Scotsman would also like to have it to be so. But could England or any other nation trust them? No! The sentiments of a lot of Irishmen even in this country were more lor the Germans than the British. “lona,” drop your old Cromwells and King James —out-of-date' propaganda. There is as much to be said on the other side and it has been by old writers. Go with present day thoughts. I 1 am told that the Irish workers of to-day ] are as well paid as they are in Scotland | and England. Then what are they yelping I about? It’s only the agitators with religious aims that are quarrelling and forcing the good Irish people to vole as they want them or they settle them by a crack on the nut. It’s (he Irish people themselves who want two Parliaments, and I feel sure the British Government would not send armed men there if they could only trust them. Now its time again, “Iona” and other Irishmen, to drop the spite against Englishmen and any other colonials who don’t go to your church, because they let you alone, they work with you, and get the same pay as you. Then learn to he satisfied, because most of you are always “agin the Government.” —I am, etc., ENGLISHMAN. June 4. To the Editor, Sir, —I have read with interest your lending articles on this question and your replies to “lona.” I heartily endorse everyone of your articles. In fact. Southland Times articles “for calm judicial commiiit” and comprehensive knowledge of what they are dealing with have a reputation far beyond the confines of our province. Now, Sir, I visited the North of Ireland and went as far South as Killarney in September last, talked the mutter over with different shades of opinion; visited Richmond, Washington and New York afterwards, discussed again this question with different classes of the people, even to relatives of an ex-president there. May be some of my experiences may be of interest to your readers. 1 can’t commence without informing “Iona” (hat Dr. Mannix as a far-seeing statesman committed a deplorable blunder against the Irish cause, by resisting to the utmost conscription in Australia, when the Australian forces needed help so badly in the defence of Catholic countries, and also in working against assistance being given to those forces (hat were fighting to make the Cross once more supreme in the Holy Land. When I landed in Belfast I was struck with the prosperity' of the place. I saw huge ship building yards and to go through the rope and great linen works was a sight not soon forgotten. Going from Belfast to Dublin one passes through mostly undulating country which has a go ahead look about it, with nice plantations and well-kept homesteads. I saw Sackville Street and Liberty Hall, where the Fenian rising took place, and I met some of the Tommy soldiers from Palestine who had been stationed there at the time. They declared it to be true that Sinn Feiners fired on the wounded soldiers, and that the clergy were mixed up in that disturbance. Going from Dublin to Killarney, an agriculturist is struck with the fertile nature of (he soil—far superior to the North. But the farms are in a deplorable condition, fences and hedges anyhow, and also buildings. If the Sinn Feiners would leave a colonial alone one would make a fortune there in a very- short time. It is largely pastoral nt present, with a splendid market a few hours away in England and Scotland. They have the same land laws as the North and those land laws and representation in the Imperial Parliament are more liberal than those of England and Scotland. Whilst in the disturbed area we colonials and Americans were well treated. I was struck by the quiet unassuming nature of the British soldiers garrispned there. Nothing of the bully ragging military tactics as suggested by “lona.” The only break out I heard of whilst in the country of the military, was when one of their comrades in the South was murdered and the jury returned a verdict of “found dead.” The military turned out and smashed the town up.

I endorse your opinion, Sir, that the Irish people live too much on the history of the past. I met an. old man at Killarney who was moved almost to tears over the doings of Cromwell. I gently reminded him we were living in the 20th century and that if he looked back on the history of Scotland he would see that crofters were evicted from the homes of their forbears, and that the Coventanters suffered much. The history of England is the same. The Pilgrim Fathers were persecuted in their own land and had to toek a new home across the Atlantic. Ireland could not say that she alone had bad treatment. I find this continual dishing up of old stuff and - the interference of the clergy in politics in the South the main cause of this continual unrest. Even “Iona” in this progressive country tries to dish up old stuff to cause racial ill-feeling. The Irish are naturally a warm-hearted people, but the ignorance of the people is worked upon by professional agitators. The North is perfectly satisfied to remain for all time under the. Imperial Parliament and if the South wants anything different, it should compromise and show that it can be trusted. An American sailor doing patrol work off the Irish coast informed me that a lot of

innocent lives were lost off the Irish coast through signals being sent to enemy submarines.

I feel absolutely certain, Sir, that if the Irish clergy would leave politics alone, and follow the example of their Great Master peace and content would soon reign again in Ireland. Say for instance, these cold blooded murders continue, and Ireland is declared a republic and England for such treatment slams the door in her face, as a commercial or rather pastoral country. Ireland would be ruined. The north as a manufacturing centre his the world’s market, but the south largely depends on her stock. The only big manufacturing I noticed was the Guinness Stout factory in Dublin. In the live meat trade she could not with advantage trade with America. She is actually stabbing her best commercial friend at the present moment. Before touching on America I may inform ‘Tona’’ that I met the Irish Division from Mesopotamia in Ebypt, very much alive indeed.

Now, as regards America you are perfectly right. Sir, in saying that the country is flooded with Irish propaganda. Seemingly the British are too proud or too pigheaded to give the Yanks their side of the story. The ignorance of the average American on this subject is appalling. Even Americans of the better class are very bitter against Britain, over her seemingly brutal treatment of Ireland. Everywhere you go it is the same. The American is a hard hitter as.far as his criticism is concerned, but when you explain to him the other side of the picture, he is a ready supporter of British treatment of Ireland. Some Irish-Americans went so far as to say, that through racial feeling the head of their great Church was against the Allies. I feel confident the heart of America is with us as a friendly ally, and if the leaders of the Irish movement would show a little more loyalty and commonsense, Ireland’s wrongs would soon be obliterated. The large majority of your readers still consider the Old Jack stands for religious and political freedom, and is good enough for us.— I am, etc., ex-Trooper G. F. McRAE, N.Z.EtF.