IRISH AFFAIRS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3460, 14 April 1920, Page 5

IRISH AFFAIRS.

DUBLIN SITUA'I‘ION BECOZ\;[ING: -~ -WORSE.

APPALLIN Gr UALAMITY

FEARED.

LONDON, April 13.

The position in Dublin is growing worse. The Government absolutely refuses to release the hunger-strikers.

The Nationzfiists are almost frantically excited. A Justice of the Peace visiting Mountjoy was so alarmed at the prisoners’ condffion that he rang up the Viceregal Lodge and assured Lord French’s aide-do-camp that immediate action was necessary. He did not receive :1 reply. Later, the private secretary informed The Town Ch-ek, in response to a previous quest, the‘: Lord French refused to see the Lord Mayor and High Sheriff to discuss the prison-

"Dublin Col'pora.Lion adjourned for It wm,-k as a protest. é ‘

Archbishop Walsh greatly fears the I‘e>‘ulL will excite public opinion. “If HlO plisoners die we shall be faced with the near prospect of appalling slaughter.” V The Times-“ correspondent consi.(lel's~ it is a chzu'aeteristic xnisforlmne of Irlsh politics that the crisis‘ has arisen at the comnrenuement of Sir Harmar Grcouwood’s' and General Sir Neville Maerc:ldy’s reginic. The country is :xll'eé.dy bitterly aflame as -.r result. At the inquest in Cork concerning the death of MacCurte.in, the jury demanded the presencc of Lord French and Sir John Taylor, a member of the Chief Sec;-eta.ry’s staff at Dublin Castle. as witnesses. The coroner issued subpoenas. In, appealing to the workers to undertake :1 general strike, the chairnmn a.nd»secl'et.arry of the Irish Trade Union Congress, said: “You are called upon to act swiftly and suddenly to save hundreds of dauntless men, whose lives are hanging by :1 thread in the Bastile. We worke.l's dare not allow this tragedy to happen.’ ’

Mr Thomas Clark, chairman of the visiting Justicezxr at Mountjoy prison, resigned after felegraphing to Sir Hamar Greenwood to hasten to Dublin in order to avert a ferrible tragedy.

SINN FEINERS AND GERMAN AGENT&

CARGO OF ARMS INTFRCEPTED.

Received 9.5 a.m.

LONDON, April 13.

The Morning Post: 1153' published translations -of code letters between Sinn Féin agents and Baron Von Horst, who was interned in England during the war_,"as German agent. and who is now employed by the Sinn Feillers to ship arms 'l:'l.-om Hamburg, including two tanks and twenty--one field guns, aboard the Olga. foxv “at Grangemouth.

(‘ode letters from Thomas Loughlanj of Dublin, suggesting’ shipments to the Dublin Corporation, put irhe authorities on the alert 1-egarding ihe destination of the Olga’s cargo,

RAILWAYMEN STRIKE‘

DETERMINED HUNGER-

STRIKERS‘

Receiqv-ed 9.25 am

LONDON, April 13

Employees of the Midland, Great Western, and Dublin South-Western railways in Ireland have ceased work. It is expected the Punchstown races will be po-stponed.

The Governor of Mountjev Gaol came to each hunger-stl‘ikex"s cell and fried to feed the men with barleywater. All refused. Meanwhile 03;cited crowds. outside waved Sinn Feiu flags as they caught a glimpse of the prisoners at the windows. When the Angelus bell struck the crowd recited the Rosary in Irish. LONDON, April 12.

Lord French declined to yeceive the Mayor and Sheriff of Dublin with reference to the I\loun’rjoy hungerstrikers, pointing out the Government had’already announced its policy in 1-egzu-d to the matter.’ The Dublin Corporation decided to deputationise Foreign Consuls. The American Consul receives the deputaiton to-morrow. "

“PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GO'D."

ALL VVORK TO CEASE.

Received 10.20 am, . LONDON, April 12.

A priest in Southwest Ireland _received a letter: “You are a marked man; you encouraged crimes and mur.ders. Prepare to meet your God!” The Mountjoy Prison doctor, cook, has also resigned. Three other doctors, including the chief ofliéer of the Prison Board, recommondefi ‘Ehe pris~ oners’ release.

Further demonstrations outside the prison «resulted in summoning soldiers, who fired sluofé into‘ the air, whwich caused women and children to flee in panic

A military tank caught fire, and

when’ fhe fire brigade arrived. the‘?

refusedvto extinguish the blaze, but turned their horses and drove away amid cheers

It is expected all work will cease to-mom-ow except newspapers, telegraphs and bakeries

The Dublin Corporation adjourned its meeting as a protest against the treatment of prisoners GRAVE PERIL IN IRELAND. .~\'R-C.‘»HB].SHOP WALSI-I"S WARNING. Received 10.10 a.m. LONDON, April 13. Archbishop Walsh, in a statement, said: We are face to face with an appalling catastrophe. I have the gravest apprehension of The consequences of Dublin Castle"s obstinate adherence to present rules. 7 Cardinal Logue protests against ‘painting the pillars of Sain: Patrick's iCatlledl'al with Sinn Fein colours. I“Much valuable property, for which lilmocentt people have to pay, is being I wantonly destroyed.”

E POPE AND IRELAND.

TO MAKE PRONOUNC.EMENT.

ARCHBISHOP KELLY’S VISIT.

LONDON, March 29.

A message from Rome states that it is reported that the Pope will make 21 solemn pronouncement on the Irish political and religious questions. The Pope may make this the occasion for the eanonisation of the Von. Oliver I’lunketf, Archbishop of Armagh, who was executed at Tyburn in 1681. ‘

Reutel"'s correspondent at Rome states that the Pope received in private audience Archbishop Kelly, of Sydney, who reported on the situation in Australia, both religiously and politically; He specially desleribed the consequences -of the War in the Commonwealth.

Througliour the centuries since he died, it has bee one of the dearest wishes of Irish Catholics to have the name of the Venerable "Oliver Plunkett on the calendars of saints, and the cause for this canonisatiou has frequently been before the Vatican. Oliver Pluiikett iwas regarded by the Irish as one of Ireland’s most glorious martyrs and patriots. He was born in 1629, and hanged at Tyburn in 1681 for treason. He was Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland. Irish llisto'r‘)" swears that. his life was sworn away by paid informers, including a renegade priest. His remains were interred in St. Giles’ Clnirehyard, England. and later Were removed to Lambspring, in Germany. Subsequently they were transferred to St Gl-egory’s College, Downside, England, and. enshrined. The head is preserved foltlie present day in the Benedictine Mostray, in Drogheda, Ireland. Several relics, including the vestments, of Oliver Plunkeft, belonged to the late Cardinal Moran, and when he died they were left io Archbishop Kelly. They are new preserved at his palaeo at Manly.