Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), Saturday 10 April 1920, page 30


SIM FEIN ODTBREAK

OFFICIAL PEECAUTIONS. DIFFICULTY OiF CONTROL. DUBLIN. April 2.

Thirty Sinn Feiners in.Mountjoy Prison were handcuffed for smashing the furniture and the windows of the cells with the object of being treated as criminals. They were forbidden to receive visits from friends.

The Sinn Fcinere held up a train near Limerick which was carrying £2,503 to pay the railwaymen, and secured the money. The precautions taken by the Government are regarded as likely to pre.-ent an outbreak in Ireland during the Easter period. Sheriff Intimidated. As he refused to hand over certain land a hundred Sinn Feiners raided the house of Mr. Alcorn, the High Sheriff of Galway, who was handcuffed and taken to the lake side, where he was asked if he wished to see a priest who was Bent for. Mr. Alcorn was then told to prepare for drowning, but he informed the raider* that he would agree to their demands. Attack an a Barracks. An attack was made on Scartaglan Barracks similar to that made at Durrus on -?.Larch 3. The police, who suffered no casualties, repelled their assailants. The Prime Minister (Mr. Lloyd George) has forwarded a letter to the Lord -Mayor of Dublin, sympathising with him in the dilemma in which he is placed, and asserting that Ireland to-day is menaced by a formidable organisation that is seeking to terrorise the public officials and the Irish people by murders and assassination. He declares that the campaign has attained such proportions that it is impossible to obtain evidence in the ordinary ? way which would lead k- arrests or convictions. Therefore the executive whica is responsible for the maintenance of Government and the protection of the life, liberty and property of individual citizens is confronted by great difficulties, as it would certainly be nn-Inish to arrest the guiltless. On the other hand, their fimsfc imperative duty was to leave no stone unturned to enable them, to lay hands upon those people who were terrorising society. 'They may at times have no option if they are to grapple with the problem of organised murder but to dislocate in some decree the normal life of the community. May I add,' the Prime Mindster continues, 'that I believe the pre. sent campaign is largely prompted by a desire to make impossible a settlement of the Irish question by reason and goodwill? The Home Rule Bill now before Parliament proposes to establish selfgovernment throughout Ireland, on lines more generous than the Act of 1914. It provides a means whereby Ireland can attain unity by the free act of its own citizens without further reference to the Imperial Parliament. I do not believe it is possible for Ireland to obtain unity or peace except by

these methods — reason and conciliation. The policy of Sinn Fein is exactly opposite. It depends upon violence in opinion and violence in action. This is a policy whic'a can never lead to union in Ireland. It certainly can never achieve the avowed object of the Irish Republic. It can only condemn Ireland to a long continuance of the terrorism and distress which ~are dominating it to-day, for the Government cannot be deflected from what they believe to be the only course consistent with reason and commonsense by the most ruthless and cruel campaign of assassination and crime Ireland has ever seen. The Government, however, are anxious to make as easy as possible the tusk of those endeavoring to carry on the administration of the country along reasonable lines, and if there are any means whereby moderate men can be helped and encouraged to withstand and oppose the present campaign of intimidation, and si bring: nearer the settlement of the Irish question, I will pladlv co-operate in bringing them into effect?'