THE IRISH.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 1 June 1917, Page 2

THE IRISH.

A SINGING REBELLION. SINN FEIN ISM SPREADING. ELECTION OF McGUINESS. LONDON May-il l. The Times’ correspondent at Dublin writes. — The defeat of the Nationalist McKenna, by the rebellion prisoner, McGuinness, is a serious blow to the Nationalist Party. It was a direct outcome of the protest against partition, which is now generally regarded as dead. The result effects the whole Irish situation. It has increased the Ulsterites’ fear and suspicious of the Sinn Feiners, who were able to com mand a large number of motor-cars for the election. The Sinn Feiners also made a lavish display of Archbishop Walsh’s letter wherein he declared Ireland had been sold.”

ARREST OF REBELS. Mr Duke, the Chief Sceretray for Ireland, stated in the House of Commons a few weeks ago that if he could tell all tile facts he was sure the House would approve of the Irish arrests. The Sinn Fein trouble in the south and west has for the time died down (a correspondent wrote to the Daily Mail from the South of Ireland in March), but there have- been anxious hours down here.

I travelled many miles by motor-car through certain areas. It was a perfect day of bright sunshine, and the song of birds heralding spring’s awakening. I was struck everywhere I went by tin; prosperity of the farm lauds, and the prevalent good temper and good cheer in the laud. There is not the slightest doubt that here, as elsewhere, throughout the country, Sinn Fein as an economic force has grown and is growing tremendously A phoenix-brood has arisen out of the ashes of Sackville street, and though there is no actual Sinn Fein Party, the movement is broken up into many small groups, each trying to find an outlet for action.

SH ADES OF SINN FEINISM

They consist of rebels of varying degrees —from out-and-out Sinn Feiners, whose favourite diet is gunpowder and gas and complete isolation from everything and anything English, to the comstitutional Sinn Fciner who would elect members of his elan to the Imperial Parliament provided they were, in favour complete separation. These form two of the seven degrees of National’s ts who to-day add to the complexity of Irish Affairs in Ireland, and who include the O’Brienitcs, who are out for that kind of conciliation which means “If - yon - don’t - agree - with - me- I - will - break - your - skull ’ ’ The Redmonditcs, whose policy is said here to be to make a Tammany Hall of Dublin Castle; the Irish Nation League in Ulster, and the Partition Party. Through all these the Sinn Fein element is sweeping like a strong spring tide, and I am assured by thoughtful and observant Unionists and men of affairs hero that if there was a general election in Ireland to-morrow Sinn Fein would sweep the board. Most of the National schools arc inoculated, and inoculated deeply, with the Sinn Fein germ the women arc spreading it in innumerable ways, and in the streets at night the Sinn Fein rallying song is sung with united fevonr.

THE REBEL SONG. There is a wonderful swing to this song. It was chanted to me last night by a glowing young rebel who sang it as though inspired. The door was locked and curtained and the windows were shuttered, so that the melody could have full play, and at the grand piano sat a lovely Irish girl playing the accompaniment. She wore two badges on her breast. One was the (Sinn Fein colours fastened on an “in memoriam” shield struck in commem eration of last Easter week; the other was a badge from the uniform of one of the officers in the Duchess of Connaught’s Own Irish Canadian Rangers, whose stirrng tour through the country is still a happy memory here.

“Is it not wonderful?’’ said the beautiful rebel, when the song was over. “We cull it th e Irish ‘Maracllaise.’ ’’