LORD FRENCH.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 December 1919, Page 6

LORD FRENCH.

THE ATTACK ON HIS LIFE. FURTHER DETAILS. By Telegraph.—Press Assd.—Copyright. ! London, Dec. 20. Lord French's personal escort was unable to fiive chase as strict standing orders provided that they must not leave the Viceroy on any pretext. All the attackers were ' apparently young well-dressed men.

The dead man, wio was aged about 20 years, was a grocer's assistant named Savage, residing in Dublin. Unlike his accomplices, lie emerged from the hedge and stood in full view on the footpath firing a revolver, and was shot dead by a policeman in the escort.

His accomplices dragged him to a house where blood stains were afterwards found. Apparently when they found Savage was dead his friends decamped.

A curious feature of the attack was I the complete knowledge possessed of the i \ iceroy s movements, though every preI caution was taken by the authorities who' might select any of three available stations and order of the cars was never decided beforehand. The remaining cars were exactly similar in appearance to that occupied by the Viceroy. Lord French had anticipated an attack for weeks. He recently declared that he was governing Ireland with a pistol at his head, and was not going to evade danger. "If they want me," he said', "they will find me doing my duty. I won't alter my routine for all the threats in Ireland."

Savage, the assassin who was killed, was a well-known seditionist. He carried a German pistol. The documents lounct on his body give important clues to the conspiracy. MANY WARNINGS. Even the imminent arrival of the Viceroy was supposed to be secret. The motors proceeded to the station at the Jast minute.

It is stated that the authorities were I not surprised at the attack. It had been known for some time that the Viceroy s life was in danger. He had many warnings, including threatening letters, but ignored the warnings. He recently walked in the streets of Dublin, t on v' escort being two detectives Lord French calmly surveyed the proceedings throughout the attack and took af?erward 9 . A strong force of troops patrolled the streets of Dublin at night. Tanks were also used.

, T T he , K i n S telegraphed congratulations to Lord French on his escape It is reported that the police have taken special precautions against malef n f Possible outrage during the Irish debate in the House of Commons, which is fixed for Monday One account of the Phoenix Park attack states that Lord French stood in the ear briskly returning his assailants'

It appear that the firing began fifty yard s from Ashtown station. The for ra r ga,mtlp t of a brisk Are for a hundred yards. Mow plainly visdirLt 0 V - 1 . 111 tl,e field seelned to tthlv fvV* 8 a " ts operations. P r ably thirty participated in the attack a r° nCea l\ d iU a tree ' ma ' n tained slid to L a ? automa tie pistol, slid to the ground and took to the fields r e rvr\ Tits of , his - tt stem of the tree. Most of the assailants possessed bicycles and scattered along by-roads and lanes. Lord French's only escort consisted of McLoughlin, who eyded ahead as pilot to three or four P°'" ceme ". '-it some thirty soldiers, who formed the guard of honor at the station, heard the firing and doubled to- the scene.' They were too winded on arrival to take up p „ rsuit and scarcely saw the fugitives. They wnid fire"' J? cont . ent themselves with tw l r e various directions where they believed the men were escaping. THE GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE.

Mr. Bonar Law, in a speech at, LiverWHi P° sition Ireland was pcrmi t t t, R ?. VOrnm ™ t wo " ld not The i e a r sllm ™ t of a republic. The attack on Lord French was a siffnifcant indication of the spirit in whhdi a section of the Irish welcomed tlie Mr R new a ' tCm Pt at a settlement. Mr. Bonar Law said the Irwh lirobwas the most perilous any stat'sman ever attempted to solve. JV position V/as terrible, but there shou'd be no cleavage in the Coalition. U you are prepared to allow a republic give them self-determination- if not yo,i n",st deal with it some other TllL „ T . G . ovenimen t is not going to lished." Sh repUblic t0 be «?ab-

the , a3Sailanfe chose attitude '? °I der to indicate their effor to ° n 7- rdß the G° ver nment's next, would he f S settlement, which would be announced .on Monday. Anyfhe BrTtth nt,mi< ! at i 0n ™ uld never ™uL minatlon Pe ° Ple t0 C ° nCede self - d <*er-

KeferaI BO p n ]p r ,t^ aW - Bai tl he talk about a nonsense Feb, ' uai 7 all S; j l | e l?^.' mes ' a n editorial, eavs tliat f' Fe.n must repudiate the ittemSt tVJ * lic pojitioal consequences The attempt on Lord French's life W Werworl ? int t 7 anS *"? P ublieists who The n&tittal fl. tt . n Irisll settlement, political effect is serious. Lobbvr)™irep ° tllat Mr - L! °yd George Is M v haS modifi ed the that Hnn p , P ° e - V : tak 'V the view Home Bule is impossible while Insjimen pursue their aims with the

The army in Ireland Ims been inare manv'' at ,cast 43M0 - Thcre are many batteries 0 f artillery aeroplanes and tanks. Two tanks traversed "ifs *«« tS- "ri the fvir rUsh ' sh newspapers frrmi tV , enUnent to diverge ™ rn- P atllwfl y «f reform. The Times says that events in Ireland move from calamity to calamity with no end in- sight. Pacification by generous economic concessions is dead and coercion hag likewise failed

MORE OUTRAGES. . London, Dec. 20. A number of masked and armed men at daybreak waylaid the mail motor near Westport, and stole £SO. n,ev compelled the driver to leave the road and take a circuitous route. Another darinjr robbery occurred near nms . when masked men pulled a postman off his bicycle and stole £35. The money in both cases was intended for the payment of pensions , rn jed won raided a suburban post office m Dublin, where three women were on duty, and seized all the available money. They were arrested after pursuit