"NO REPUBLIC!"

Taranaki Daily News, 26 August 1920, Page 5

"NO REPUBLIC!"

LLOYD GEORGE ON IRELAND.' WHAT BRITISH CABINET IS READY TO FACE. "FIVE YEARS' WAR AND A MILLION CASUALTIES." London, iJune 28. An official report lias beeti issued on the interview between the Prime Minister and other members of the Cabinet and a deputation of Irish railwayuien, headed by Mr J. H. Thomas, regarding the sending of munitions to Ireland. In his opening statement. Mr Thqnotitt said the deputation represented 20.000 Irish railwaymen, jind it was probably the first time .that any Prime Minister or any Government had been able to meet face to face representatives of the north, south, east, and west of Ireland. Ho went on to explain that, for the purpose of seeing whether Lahbiir could make some contribution towards a solution of the problem, the N.U.R. convened the conference at: Bristol, and that, deputation was the result. They felt that it was useless to talk of Home Rule or anything else, unless there was established an entirely different atmosphere from that which existed. They believed they were doing something to create that atmosphere, and the first suggestion was that there should be a withdrawal of the drmy of occupation in Ireland, and the withdrawal of further munitions. He (Mr Thomas) suggested that at least they should call a truce.

NO IRISH REPUBLIC. The Prime Minister afeked what it exactly was that was wanted. "If," he said, "the idea of a truce is that we should withdraw what is called the army of occupation, which means the soldiers who are protecting the people who are in danger of being shot down, and deprive those people of'adequate arms and ammunition without the slightest guarantee that there will be no outrage and that there will be no' shooting, it must bo perfectly obvious to avbody that that is a thing which no Government could possibly do." There was only one possibility of a truce and that was some sort of understanding. There were twb things that were absolutely impossible. ' "If it is a question of setting up an independent Irish Hepublic in this small grotty) of islands that is a thing we conW only accept if.we were absolutely beat-' en to the ground. We take the same view exactly of that position as President Lincoln took of the attempt of the Southern States to claim secession."

{ LINCOLN'S EXAMPLE. * Continuing, Mr Lloyd George said: "Lincoln faced a million casualties and a five years' war rather than acknowledge the independence of the Southern States. We should do thpsame thing. We shall defend the men who represent the democracy of this country, because, after all, it is the democracy of this country that has sent them there." TJw Premier then stated that h*. jrgg

ready to discuss the situation txr]UJ Sinn Fein or anybody who had £ flat;!*!! to speak on behalf of the Irish. pOM&vttH The last thing this country dtwst?J| was to insult, provoke, or oppmt' tS?*;ll Irish people. It was nwena^-Wrthtn.' email islands that there should SmC'II partnership of nationalities. It nra» Ikf' a insult to Ireland to say to her, "(CojW ''J into this partnership with u»v into it on equal terms." Thay.vsaii Ireland: "We frankly invite ypu."io" M'-'M partnership, a , partnership when' WVsi recognise your nationality-wiot!a "pan* »« nership where we trample on your JtJKSyjl tionality, but a partnership wfere recognise it." There was- the, ,dfflk»]fr.*M| of the north-east of Ireland. « thw|liji insisted upon compelling. the North- 4ft Ireland, whether it willed or -not, W'li come' in, and say, shall be self-determination for thethiw. 'M southwn provinces,- but not- for tß ! hs[ north." it would be a fatal error, na ;a did not believe the people would stand it. *" •$ DANGER OF BLOODSHED. <| i Mr Thomas, continuing the. discUMOj sioD, said: "Within the next two dafhj'sj when you give effect to your polfcy, SH .J rectly you start to look out -*ia W .1 have bloodshed, and not a fetf T tnurdpr#* --"a that we have been talking about.» Theta] 'if is bound to be the most hwrible ten*. 'J of starvation. Of course, yiiur troops « can wipe out the Irish people; bitt yo'u -'M will not even then have' tyntrimjtejl g anything towards the solution., On thw ';1 contrary, yo(j will have a still moMi!*,] difficult and dangerous Iridicjßcblep/'H than ever, because of the eomgiH|tionf.f ■ J That being so, you are not U)£| a rlßC'f \] by granting what I am asking - r * ' '*f After a private )fy* •_'] Thomas intimated that if the SjrWitr ''is could undertake not to send monitions' -j to Ireland pending the meeting of thj»i« *i Irish and English Congresses they, ittpH return, would do all that was THUWnJjM'Js possible to prevent crime or of any sort or kind, •■ . ' ygffl

Mr Lloyd George -said in tepljr.' i£f| m he had gone : > the extreme limit. -Tito n deputation represented a very poTfariw 9 body, but they could not speak jjl Sinn Fein as a whole, and could M no guarantee that outrages would' $M&| M The Government could not suspend im n working of the machine of proteptkay|a even for three weeks, without having some sort of understanding: tws|il those responsible for the present' CMpiS dition of Irish opinion" would the whole of their influence to disorder. In reply to Mr Thomas ■ 'kwil said the Government could not SCCSsf[J|j a guarantee from the Irish Lfcl]ww|l party, who were not the body npfMfej'MJ sible for the campaign of crime. Ttoaljl Government mus,t have a guarantee fro»;J| those whose hands were on the "or on the trigger would 'bß a 'UttMraH Mr Thomas pointed out that - tw||| Government's decision did not ease. tfa'fPl strike situation at the North. Watt. . -;} M ASKING FOR A CAPITULATION,: 'M Further replying fo Mr Thongs, ils|v!i,% Premier said: "You arc asking *<o ■&£.% capitulate on a principle wiich.it wu|ft;',;|j be utterly impossible for -any OWera*; J raent to accept. If it did it'WVuM wjifc ''i either face Parliament or 'anjfcodjr is'Js this country. You nsk us to that n bfuly of men. dock labourers, iaU» tl wayrnen, any body of men, have**ijut, >* to say that they will not sarry WhaA '•" the Government think to be absolutely, i necessary for its essential fußctioni,,.;3 That is an impossibility." •'■ f-'--''s The Premier, again answering 3{p l J Thomas, said overytliing would* J«i'4oß(il'vj to avoid provocation. He was <SiNJki>W .!•<§ that Sir Nevil Macready, &r vßtaWr','i Greenwood, Sir John Anderson,, aajtothai '%k others who were there were most' gtt&yvl ous to avoid anything that wai ;tttf»T»i! | provocative or that. Interfered.,• Mtß,'; -'-! national sentiment. He (the would be tlie last man to *yaMltbJl»'|.| with any interference with the Tfcngo-; Fij age of the people. ■ ■!;. ■.'i'i? In conclusion, Mr Lloyd Qsotg* «ftid; ' $ "It is no use my promising Boneßiiu whicli would be tjuile impossible'to per- ~' s form.. We have really got to bfe jtnolu- '.l tely adamant. On all the oljher .points J I should be very happy to.meet you, and \ you may depend upon ft thatwerythinft t hat has been said here will be "regarded /< as quite a useful contribution. I art' \«ery glad to hare heard the Tiews pre- .„..: scntpd so very clearly aud ably y. the , ;| repre,\;ntatives of Sinn Fein." " "' \

* CIVIL WAR THREAT. . ;;M WHAT SINN FEINERS SAY JW.'- \'M THE PREMIER'S SPEECH." .|| The announcement that Irish -rill- :M way men were to interview Mr, Llejd ."3 George was resented by orthodas "SJnii ''M Fciners (says the Irish Corresjxm&'trt of the' Daily News), and durmfc'tW '"m last few days strong resolutions b»vft ;j§ been passed insisting that, the b>jnfla>- ;« tion should confine themselves entire*' ,' jjjj ly to the munitions dispute and Should- ".i»|j enter into no about the . iii political situation. ' ~- The opinion here is that th» of the Premier's speocli will be to« : iatfetv-. '*'*s& sify the Republican feeling in the ranks 'tM of Labour, and convince not a few of, ',a| the Xiitionalists who have up to iww £u held aloof, that m> other coune is -afm .in io them than to accept the authority, of |4j Dail Eirann. Had Mr de Volna <tict»t- ~-' : j/jk ed the speech it is questionable if; ttfftu •.'".•s for propagandist purposes, he could "iUNf 'j*a improved upon the Premier's utteij«t*i. ',/J It is clear from the published import*' ,M of the speech that the Government Are ,'&| determined to secure,'not an'lri(k'»t- •;M | Heinent, but an Irish surrender. 'JB»«ry vSj constitutional leader, from O'CohnJjß "to #| John Redmond, has argued Ws ease fan >W& the basis of Ireland's inalienable if;ujh<; <sa to independence. Mr Lloyd Geaflje?*' JS statement is read here as meaning that jm even if recognition of Irish indepMd- '■ «| ence could lead to reconciliation miwmn ,'M the two nations, he would ehtfosc *t« «.n ,'M alternative "a million casualties Mid a/ ■"i five years' war." Sir Edward Oirson t '<", himself never uttered so monstrous a "-.v; threat. -5