Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1916-10-13
REDMOND SCORES
CONSCRIPT|ON
Says Draft Would be Resisted
in Every Irish Village,
RESULT IN WORLD SCANDAL
Leader of Irish Nationalists Declares
Home Rule is Safe if Ireland Re.
mains Sane,

Home Rule is Safe if Ireland Re
mains Sane.
In a notable address to his con
stituents at Waterford, IRELAND, Joh1
Redmond, the Irish Nationalist!
leader in parliament, declared tha
despite the recent rebellion, with al
its inevitable aftermath OF. brutalities
stupidities and in1amed passions,
Home Rule for Ireland is safe if Ire
land remains sane.
Mr.. Redmond also declared that con
scription could never be forced upor
Ireland, adding:
"I cannot bring myself to believe
that, malign though the influences al
work are, the government will be in
sane enough to challenge a conflict
with Ireland on this subject. Conscrip
tion for Ireland far from helping the
army and the war, would be the most
fatal thing that could happen.
ut would be resisted in every village
in Ireland. It's attempted enforcement
would be a scandal which would ring
round the world. 1t would produce nc
additional men.
"The mere threat is paralyzing re
cruiting, which, mark you, is not dead
as some people say. The latest fig
ures, indeed, show that from the date
of the rising easter Sunday until
September 5000 recruits were received
"This demand fer conscription is not
a genuine military demand. 1t is a
base political device put forward by
men who want to injure and discredil
Ireland's political future and revive
by any and every means, bad blood
between the two countries, in the
wicked hope that when the war is over
the British people may tolerate scme
attempt to repeal the Home Rule act
"But whatever the motive back OF
the proposal may be, it will never be
carried through the house Of commons
as long as the Irish party remains as
it is today; united and entitled to
speak for Ireland.
1.-THE way to continue to get recruits
is far different. Appease the inflamed
feeling in Ireland. Withdraw martial
law. Make it plain that the defence OF
the realm act will be administered not
as it is being administered now in diff
ferent parts of Ireland, but in the
same spirit as it is administered In
England, Scotland and Wales.
"Treat prisoners arrested during the
rising as political prisoners. Put an
end to insults and attacks upon Ire
land and recognize generally what she
has done.
"On these lines the government may
succeed in recruiting even after all
that has happened. But as for con-
scription, in that way lies madness,
ruin and disorder"
Mr.. Redmond said that it was abso'
lutely false that he or his colleagues
ever favored a scheme providing for a
permanent division of the ancient ma
ton. The Lloyd George plan which
was favored was definitely for the linn
tied period of the war, he continued
its object being to give twenty-six
counties an opportunity of inducing
the other six counties to come in vol
UNFAIRLY after the war b. an exhibition
Of successful, tolerant, sane govern
ment in the south and west. The mo-
ment an attempt was made to give
this arrangement a complexion of per-
manency it was rejected.
"The way the matter now stands,
Mr.. Redmond continued, fs: The
Home Rule act is on the statute book
The act which suspends its operation
provides that if it is not put into oper'
alton before the war ends, then 1t
comes into operation automatically at
the end of the war. Nothing has al
tered nor can alter that, unless it be
a new act of parliament. But it is
true that the government is pledged
to introduce an amending bill when the
act comes into operation. That bill
must be considered on its merits when
the time comes. Our hands are per.
fectly free"
Mr.. Redmond said t"at the present
situation was the most trying crisis in
his recollection, and that a bad blow
was struck at Ireland by the uprising.