The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-30
IUELANOS NEW LAND WAR
TIE ANTICIPATING MOVEMENT
GROWING MORE SERIOUS.
Is Object to Force the Cutting Up Of the
land Now Given Over TO Cattle and
R~heep-DrlVes Conducted without
Violence The Governments Dilemma.

aud up 10 uhto tuc dBlLuiOIS hhNo OCcH llO
winners. The blaze was started on a
single grazing farm in the west two months
ago, and since then it has spread into FIVE
counties. and every day shows that the
revolt is increasing in seriousness.
One result OF the activity has been a
considerable strengthening Of the United
Irish League. which had nearly died out
through having nothing to do. Since the
anticipating war began organizers nave
been around the country districts and
recruits are flocking in
nave just returned from a tour In the
west and have witnessed several drives.
The people simply enter upon the grazing
ranches and remove the cattle from them.
driving them to the houses OF their owners.
however far away they may be, and sur
rendering them
No violence is used beyond the urging
nece ssary to keep a herd OF cattle in
motion, and there nave been few collisions
with the police. since the officers Of the
law are not numerous enough to stop the
proceedings and content themselves with
warning the people that they are commit
ting an illegal act and taking down the
names Of the leaders, whom they mark for
prosecution.
In a few instances the cattle have been
placed again upon the ranches, where they
Craze surrounded by armed constables;
but in the majority OF cases the farms have
been left dereliot and the grass upon them
has grown almost leg high. When the
~graziers surrender the peoples repre-
sentatives write to the Land Commission
in Dublin urging the Government authori-
ties to have the farms surveyed and par
rclled out among the peasants, and the
Land Department has promised to look into
the matter.
In the disturbed districts it lie impossible
to drive around without having a number
Of policemen after one l spent several
days driving through the counties Of Ros-
common and Galway, and when l came into
the neighborhood Of grazing ranches Royal
Irish Constabularymen counted on bicycles
seemed to spring out OF the ground.
They did not challenge. They simply
rode after ny car, remaining at a distance
Of about a dozen yards. When l stopped
they stopped, and when l moved on they
followed. 1t was impossible to escape
from their surveillance.
Bodies Of constabulary were here and
there stationed around the boundaries Of
the ranches and scouts and outposts were
placed in commanding positions ready to
signal to the main body the approach Of the
people. The police posts are like so many
military camps in ar enemy's country.
The main body take turns at remaining
under canvas and all around are eyes and
cars of the army watching and listening
for the coming Of the enemy.
The Government people in Dublin Castle
recognize that they are in a bad corner.
The agitation is at the moment extremely
serious and it is certain that it will spread
enormously. The authorities admit that
it must be put down at all costs; yet they
cannot combat il without resorting TO
measures that will cause the Irish people
10 break with them.
They are between the devil Of destroying
their alliance with the Irish party and the
deep sea OF a dangerous movement. and
they appear to prefer the deep sea to meet
Jag his Satanic Majesty. Hence the prosecu-
,,onsof the cattle drivers serve no end further
than causing a days amusement to the
country people Of the districts.
may give an example Of what a prose-
cution means. The other day l visited
Ballintubber. in County ~Roscommon. where
Twelve men were arraigned for having
taken part with 400 others in driving cattle
from a farm and leaving them at their
owners house about five miles away.
Ballintubber is a little hamlet Of about
Two dozen houses. The court is a single
roomed cabin that accommodates about a
dozen people comfortably.
Into this cabin were crowded the bench
Of four ma Magistrates. the twelve prisoners,
the members Of the press, the police, and
as many Of the public as could be crammed
into the room. Outside was a force Of
80 policemen drawn from man. parts.
under eight officers,
The taking Of evidence lasted from noon
until o o'clock in the evening, and an ex-
tremely clear case was proved against all
the defendants. The magistrates retired
TO consider their verdict, and when they
returned to court in a few minutes they
discharged the men.
The decision did not %disappoint the mob
o! people outside, who cheered the prisoners
when they emerged from the whitewashed
cabin that served as a British court. The
fact is. the late Unionist Government when
endeavoring TO make terms with the Irish
began by appointing large numbers Of
Nationalist local leaders magistrates, to
SLOW that they could trust the people.
These new magistrates form a plurality
IN the disaffected districts and control the
asitation 90 far as the law is concerned.
They refuse to send the prisoners forward
for trial. In the Ballintubber cass tho
b nch consisted OF three Nationalist ma gis-
T. ties and tho resident magistrate. who.
L owing that his three brethren were for an
a quittal. did not waste time by considering
tn verdict with them.
TAo Attorney General could intervene
aad have the cases~ reconsidered by e resi-
tent ma Magistrate. in which cas- the ma
iority OF tbs prisoners would be sen for
tfAl. but this step would kill what friendly
tellng between ths British Government
mud tbs Irish reopls has remained since
tfs abortlve bill was brought in by Mr..
Birrell.
II Is impossible not 10 ave sympathy
With the people in their struggle. In the
old land war days the peasants were driven
from their homes and their LAM were
given over to grazing. | have passed
through at ieas. sixty miles OF ranches.
Where twenty-five years ago there were