The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-10-28
|AE FAMINE IN IRELAND
"h ARE TWO SIDES TO THE
*oSs11oN-roLIrrc1ANs Ac-
oosED OF ExAcGERAr1o,.
The failure OF THE POTATO CROP
OF Prelates Sets Forth
h"t There VIII BE Great Dis
'ress In Places and Aid
VIII he Necessary.

puohn' oct 19.-(Correpondence of
ne ASSOCIATED Press. )-There arc two
sues 10 the question of the famine IN
Ireland. -""n'ie Ill
one side is that of the government
"nei aiieges that the famine is exploit
eu py politicians as an argument against
'ne administration of Irish affairs. The
otner side, held by many of the clergy
Y politicians and press, is that If is certo IN
will be great distress throughout
~ sye sections of the country. A meet
ms gl Roman Catholic prelates was held
az Muyhooth II week, and those pres
H." III uuopted re 9lutions that the arch
Msnops ana bishops of Ireland deem it
'nelr duty to submit to the government a
statement of their conviction formed on
tae personal knowledge of seven members
OF the board; that the failure of the pota-
70 crop IN many districts, particularly on
,ne southern and western coasts, must
lead to great distress, and unless speedy
measures of relief are adopted to disas-
trous consequences.
From delegates who were present at
the convention of the independents at
Dublin this week details of the situation
were learned. 1t is particularly bad in
the middle and west Cork districts, south
of Ireland from Macroon to the borders
of Kerry, including two congested dis
trlcts.. Meetings. are being held, the par
lsh priests presiding, to urge the govern
ment to start relief work before the
people reach the point of actual suffering.
The district of Bantry, where the great
est suffering occurred in 1S47 and in
1879 is as bad as the Cork district. The
potatoes are practically exhausted al
ready. In MidCork, and along the
southern coast there is not more than a
quarter of the usual crop. 1t is said
that very small percentage of the farm
ers in these districts have saved their
potatoes, and those saved are reported
to be SO badly disused that when eaten
they produce Irish cholera 1t is
feared that the supply of food will be ex'
hausted before the new year. The Other
crops are bad. The laborers are worse
\ off than the farmers, because now that
" e crops are harvested they have no ex
'e5actation of work until the spring. The
government officials insist upon keeping
themselves fully informed regarding the
conditions prevailing. and will be able
apparently to cope with the distress. pu,
they say they are unable to announce al
this time what districts or how many peo'
pie will be affected.
7. b. Dougherty. assistant under secre-
tary of state for ireland, discussing the
situation with a representative OF the
Associated Press, said there undtoubted-
Iy would be suffering but. he added. the
predictions of famine similar to 1918
were the "merest rubbish"
He added:
's'There are several counties on the
west coast of Ireland where the people
have had an exceedingly hard time to at
tain self-support under the best condl-
tions and il requires but small push to
send them over the line. so that win
small falling off of the crops they will be
obliged to accept aid. This will be the
case in parts of the west coast. Two CIR
cumstances, however. Will preVen, re-
currence of famine in Ireland under any
circumstances. namely, the increase oi
railroad facilities since 1913 ana the Iast
that the people no longer depehn ehtirei'
upon the potato crop. :.
not sufficiently productive to support Its
neonIe and il is a question whether man
1,facturers should not be taken to them
or whether they should not be taken TO
the manufacturers of England, the Unit
ad States or elsewhere, though ! am not
,renored to say which. If electricity was
iaraelv anplied to manufacturing in Ire
iand that country would have great fu,
ture os manufacturing center; put II
Ireland is obliged to import coal II VIII
bo unable to compete with England anu
other countries. The government :s
keeping informed on the SITUATION, ahu -
fully able to handle any sufferins WHICH
may arise" Iof, - 10