FROM THE EMERALD ISLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 70, 18 March 1912, Page 6

FROM THE EMERALD ISLE.

interesting' ' : vTe\ys on the HOME RULE QUESTION.' A GENIAL IRISH VISITOR. Sir John Nutting, Bart., of St. Helen’s, County of Dublin, who, accompanied by In’s youngest son Ronald, is making a breif holiday visit to the. Antipodes, arrived in Auckland from Rotorua a day or two ago. Interviewed by a “Star” reporter, Sir John said lie had paid' a visit to Australia, where bis eldest son was an A.D.O. on the staff of his Excellency, Lord Denham. He had originally intended to return Home via China and Japan, but in consequence of the disturbed state of China at the present time ho had resolved to spend a few weeks in New Zealand, and to go Homo via Fiji, Honolulu, San Francisco, and New York. As a native Irishman, Sir John was naturally asked what his views were regarding the Home Rule question’. “My opinion,” ho said, “is that the realisation of Homo Rule for Ireland is almost an impossibility, because what England will give Ireland will not take, and What Ireland is asking for England is not prepared to give; The moment that anyone attempts to formulate a Home Rule measure such enormous differences of opinion arise that it becomes extremely difficult to draw up a concrete measure. So strongly do I bold this view that 1 believe if the Prime Minister of England threw upon Mr John Redmond (Leader of tho Irish Nationalist Party) the responsibility of originating - a Home Rule scheme satisfactory to Ireland and the Irish representatives, and subject to tho conditions that Mr Asquith himself has spoken of, I believe that Mr Redmond would be placed in such a dilemma that he would tine! it very difficult to bring in a

[concrete measure that would Ik; acceptable at all points.” “The position in Ireland at the moment’,” Sir John went on to say, “is that the. Unionists are quiet, and the Nationalists are not enthusiastic.” His reason for this opinion was that the Unionists, desiring to remain in the country, hesitated to become champions of the opposition. He referred, of course, to the I Inionists who were scattered over different parts of the country, not to those living in the north. Sir John further pointed out that the acquisition of, and cutting up of estates in Ireland, under Wyndham’s Land Bill, had boon attended with very great success, and bad really changed the attitude of many former advocates of Home Rule. They were not now so enthusiastic for any change in the form of government. One of them had said to Sir John the other day: “Homo Rule is like Heaven. We have all been Imping for it, and looking forward to it. But, as the time of its realisation approaches, most of us fool deep down in our hearts, if wo -are told the truth, that we would like host for tilings to stay as they are.” “One thing that struck me,” said Sir John, with a twinkle in his eye, “is that New Zealand is very much like Ireland. The people in both countries take themselves very seriously, and make quite as much stir in the world as they are entitled to.”