IRELAND

Taranaki Daily News, 16 December 1920, Page 5

IRELAND

THE CORK OUTRAGES.

MILITARY INQUIRY COMMENCED.

PUNISHMENT TO BE SEVERE.

*T Telejwph.-Preis Assn.-Copyright.

Received Dec. 15, 7.30 p.m.

• London, Dec. 14. A mibtary enquiry into the Cork fires has begutt. Suspects will be tried by drumhead court-martial, whether solS.n'v" civUiu >». a «d the punishment «Jll » of the utmost Beverity if thev • *rV. onT \ cted - V the fires caused loss M tth, they will be charged with mur- ! in. ...

The at Hon. Dennis Henry, Atk for Ireland, in the Houae of Commons said that the auxiliary police had been removed from Cork «ty. Jnere, *as no further evidence **M **• w «» responsible for the fires. ueVral Tudor haß circularised the u JLMll* Btatin 8 that it is absolutely; to itop burnings, unless HL **i Pawned to, destroy buildings mm by SftWters.—Auj.-NZ Cable Abb* .•. -t

THE CJBRK" OUTRAGES.

AN INQUIRY PROCEEDING.

STATEMENT BY CHIEF SECRETARY

London, Dec. 14. in the House of Common, Sir Hamar Greenwood stated that onlv one woman Jooter lost her life in the"Cork fires. He read' a telegram from the Lord Mayo* of Cork' and Sinn Fein members of Parliament alleging that during the veek men and women in Cork were held H| i» the streets and robbed, and unoffending citizens publicly whipped and iketj arid It is believed, some burned •lire in their houses. The telegram demanded the immediate withdrawal of the army of occupation. Sir Hamar Greenwood said that a full iiqolry wit proceeding, and the sign*. TQTis* of th» tdegrarn had faetn asked to |iv« evidence under a safe conduct. Dealing with the argument that we •hoold endeavor to stand well in the UH of the world as regards Ireland, he declared that the only part of the world which r.-mnted in this difficult period was the part which, wished us well. He I ' a< *J re . t *° 8W an y c «wnw»t, official or unofficial, from any civilised .country condemning the British Government. On the other hand he «aw many communications wishing us well in one of the melt diffleult tasks ever faced by a wowrniß«nt. He could not imagine anything more contemptible than to yield at all costs to gangs of assassins who. by murder and arson; were endeavoring to intimidate them into enrrender. They were dealing with this conspiracy fairly and fearlessly. It w»f unfair to attribute everv burning incident in Ireland to the gallant men who allowed such splendid restraint •calnst almost intolerable provocation. All tli» burnings and murdering* were th« logical consequences of the Sinn Fein extremist conspiracy to smash the Empire. The way to prevent the consequences was to uproot the cause.

MILITARY MAIL SEIZED. A DARING ACT. Received Dee. 15, 10.40 p.m. London, Dec. 14. ( A small party of Sinn Feiners made a daring seigure of the military mail outside tlje Dublin Post Offiae in daylight, sifter an exchange of rifle and revolver ■ Are with the four soldiers in charge of •the mail car. None were injured, but the people In the street were terrified and flung themselves on the ground. The ■ escort saved the registered packet* Aim. and N.Z. Cable Assn.

HOMf RULE BILL. RecMved Dec. 15, 10,40 p.m. London, Dec. 14. Tdis Boom of Lords read the Home Rule Bill a third time. • The Lord Chancellor promised 1 the Government's deeped consideration to the amendmesU.-- /»> ind N,Z. Cable Assn.

MARTL4L LAW. *<• London, Dec. 14. •fleneral Macraady has issued a proclamation requiring all arms and am.nronltion In the proclaimed areast to be lianded in by December 27. The penalty of disobedience of the order will be death.

Sir Nevil Macready has issued a proolaaation in martial law district* saying that, "Irishmen understand that Great Britain has no quarrel with Irishmen. Her* sole quarrel is with crime, outrage ..and disorder, and her sole object is to restore peace in a diatracted and unhappy country. Here sole enemies are ' those who nave countenanced, inspired and participated in rebellion, murder and outrage, and it is to end' once and for all the campaign of outrage that martial law has been declared." The proclamation, which publishes the names of the military ■ governors, announces the death penalty for a refusal to surrender arms, ammunition and explosives, and for illegally wearing naval or military uniforms. It concludes: "Note well the state of armed insurrection wnicb. exists. Any person participating, harboring, inviting, aiding or abetting other persons in participation, are guilty of levying war against His Majesty the King and ; liabla to death. The Crown forces in Ireland are hereby declared on active service." The British Labor Commission has returned to Dublin. The chairman, Mr. Camei*on, in a statement, said that the outstanding Impressions of the Commission were that lie population was in a state of terror and that not infrequently the Crown forces appeared to be attempting to achieve their declared purpose by terrorising the civil population and . inflicting harsh and indefensible oppression on men, women and children who did not participate in the policy of violence. Life and property seemed almost valueless in the eyes of some sections of the Crown forces. The Commission will unhesitatingly express 1 ttie Utmost abhorrence of the criminal ruthless spirit which dictated soine of ta« worst acts ever committed under British law and order.