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IRELAND'S WRETCHED STATE.
The now s I rom Iiolaud lrom day to
day continues very bad, what with Re-
publican aggrcsivencssj sectarian bit-
terness, between Catholic Sinn Feiner.s
and Ornngcinc-u in 1'Lster, and the mal-
ignant activities of Labour Bolshevism.
The British Admiralty cannot be ac-
quitted of something that ¡,eems to ro
Rcmblc culpable caiclessnoss in the mat-
ter of the .-eizure ot a tug filled with,
arms and ammunition, and the con-
version ol these supplies to Republican
instead of loyal Fi'ee State ut-es. But
the incident is only onci ol' many that
show lo what a. miserable welter of
anarchy Ireland has been leduced by
its internecine strife. In the middle of
February the Northern raids i\cre de-
nounced by the "Irish Times" as heart
bionking acts of folly and wickedness,
anil it was predicted that ¡ill H\a tact
and patience ol' the three Governments,
British, Northern, and Provisional,
.Hould be needed to prevent worse
mischief . following. The ."Times"
special coi respondant wiotc that Mr.
Collins.and his colI«aguw> "are in au
cvfernordinarilj- difficult, position. The
Itcpiiblirnu extremists arc working
ITjtrth and nail against them. ,They
have boon nuable to lepbuc the Crown
Forces with offrctive and disciplined
fonts of their own. lu addition to the
heavy task, of reorganising the Irish
Depattments, thny are laced with rail
nay troubles and spasmodic disorders
iu manj^,parts of the Routh and West.
At the very niomcnl when the new bur-
don ol' the Fermanagh raids was thrust'
upon his shoulders Mr. Collin.« was- en-
gaged in ineiuring a Labour Soviet at
"Mallow to surrender possession of ter
tain flour mills which it had seized.
These, difficulties will incre.'icc until tlio
Provisional Governi.iont gets an elec-
toral majority on the Peace Treaty and
is_ cinilinned in leal authority by the
will ol tho people." The extremists aro
making every possible use of the in-
terval.The Ptrength of the Re-
publican extremists to-day, consists in
the fart that it i« an unknown quantity.
There will be no real pence in. Ireland"
until it has been defined by the votes
of,the people and until 1 he Provisional
(¡oyernnicnt know;; that it can tnko
strong incasinc«. with fill] assurance of
popular support."--This lorceast has
be-n only too well borne out bj- events.
[Matter.- have bet ii waiting 'too lnn¿
I lui the flection thai was to follow tim
| passing o| (he IiMi Fice Slate Act
¡Tient mea-ure has m,«- ln_toino l.iw anti
'Hie FT tuon «ill 1m> held shortly, but
jin the tn-'antinie the 'oxlrabidtnarilv
I difficult position" ol the Piovisionil
i Government lins not breóme easier.
jit is vu be hop'ti that eveiy possible
»ii¡Hi tit tiiHuei'ce that t.in be uvd Lo
I pre», «'lit matter- '.oil-; lrom bad u>
'wiiise- is Ih mu «"verteil, m older th.it
the non ei.i in lieltinil m:u have its
lau < haute. líepublit ¡inism i-, ab-
solutely liup.'b'-s, a- hupcle- as the
I idiotie attempts I« t rush Piotest.miism.
¡ The raitlincr Sinti Feiner.« are being
. l.mehi the Litter Icvín ov
| by billet iepri-al-. ,,IUJ inp rj,,.
| puhlii-.irrs' turn ml] nora« with
| out In ti. It I' .til a portee! d<*mon<t ra
j tinn ni the fatuousness of mr "policy1'
i thal suff'-re extremism, violence, and
I fanntici.-in to 2»"t mu of hand in .i
I community.
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