IRELAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1917, Page 5

IRELAND.

REBELLIOUS SINN FEiNERS. FIRM GOVERNMENT* ACTION NEEDED. . , London, July IS. Th death of Mr. Patrick O'Brien .promises the Sinn Feiners another seat for Kilkenny. Mr. Oe Valera, the newly-elected Sjinn Fein member of Parliament, speaking to a largo crowd in a chief thoroughfare in Dublin., said that the Irish could not fi'S[lit for the blood-stained Union Jack. He had no particular love for Germany, hut if a foreign nation held out her hand he would grasp it. Such a nation would naturally expect something in return; that was commonsense.

The Sinn Fein programme included ah 4 solute independence, the arming and equipping of the youth of the country, and the organisation of the Irish people to prevent the imposition of unjust taxes.

A crowd at Rallyibunion attached.tfifl police 'barracks and ftred shots. The police fired and. a youth was shot dead. The Observer's special correspondent calls attention to the Sinn Feinor*' amazing outspokenness., , Do Valera is an unemotional speaker, but his words wore violent, and the Government must adequately and promptly deal with this audacious challenge, just short of armed rebellion, Twnemberinsf it is outlined toy the scholarly leader of a numerous party. Southward of the Boyne everybody in Ireland believes that another rebellion is certain unless the Government prevents it. The policy .of the suppression of Sinn Fein will not. suffice because the unconstrnetive Nationalist Party i» tottering. Because the Nationalist democracy' has not been consulted a strong opposition exists to the Nationalist Party's back-parlour intrigues and wirepulling methods ; therefore the prospects of the convention are very poor. Mr. Redmond might, save the desperate situation if he .promptly summoned a National; Assembly, sought its mandate, and also requested it to appoint-a small council to which, the Nationalist dple* gjites might report and thus relieve Nationalists of the fear that it may Pj> 8 * Bisblv be kicked into an unrepresentative ■ settlement. It is popularly suggested that the Government should enforce the convention's agreement only after a referendum thereon.

CONVENTION MEMBERS. London, July ISMr. Lloyd George invited Sir H, Crawford, Sir James JfCullagh, Sir Tliram Wilkinson, and Sir William Whitla to join the Irish Convention.