Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-07
DRAFT THREAT
STIRS IRELAND
APPOINTMENT OF FIELD MAR.
SHAk FRENCH As vIcERoY
CAUSES ANXIETY.

LONDON, May 6.-The appointment
Of Field Marshal Viscount French as
v1ceroy Of Ireland, announced yester-
day, comes as a surprise. It was
known that the government was e1-
periencing considerable difficulty IN
finding successor to Baron VIM
borne and that this was the reason for
the delay in announcing officially the
appointment of Edward Short as chief
secretary, which was known uno6i.
cially many days ago.
No one, however, anticipated such a
purely military appointment as the
celebrated field marshal. His name
had been mentioned. hut only in con.
neotion with u schvrne 1evs Ri>eiax the
lord Workmanship in a commission a.
a way out of the difficulty, and even
in that & case the name Of General
Mahon was generally favored as q
likely member Of the triumvirate.
OPPOSITION ls EXPECTED.
Viscount French IL Of Irish extrac-
tion... He has q seat in Ireland, is
colonel Of Irish regiments and popu-
lar figure in, the country, but that IL
hardly likely to reconcile the Irish
people to his appointment, for they
will see in It nothing but q threat to
put conscription into effect.
Anti-conscription speeches were
made from the same platform by John
Dillon, nationalist leader, and Prof.
Edward De Valera, head Of the Sim
Fem. yesterday, at Ballaghadereen. in
Dillon's constituency of east Mayo.
Good humor land enthusiasm charac-
terized the demonstration, attended by
$4,000 persons.
Mr.. Dillon said that If the Irish
should remain united and determined
for another two weeks they would de-
feat conscription. He personally op-
posed conscrption, he said. and be-
lieves It was great blunder to depart
from England's settled policy against
compulsory service, especially when 1t
was not to defend the soil Of Great
Britain but to send huge armies to the
continent.
II che nations unity should be brok.
en- in the face OF the present terrific
danger, Mr.. Billion continued, the gov
eminent would be encouraged to pur-
sue its wicked and insane policy.
The nationalists and Sim FetaeiA
actually agreed, he said. that tho
whole struggle for Ireland's right
was based on the principle
Of her rights as q nation. There
was an impression in the coun-
try. he said, that all danger of con,
scription wasover. This, he declared,
was terribly false impression. There
was no question that the government
had been staggered and no longer was
so confident about the practicability
of its policy as protested when the
bill was introduced.
CHURCH CENTER FOR DEFENSE.
A powerful section Of the house OF
commons and organized labor OF Eng
land had declared against conscription
in Ireland, Mr.. Dillon added, unless
rand until an Irish parliament and an
Irish government were established.
These things combined with united
opposition in Ireland and the action
of the county bishops, hid given the
government pause, but it would be q
disastrous mistake to think that dang
er had passed.
He suggested the formation Of Irish
committees attached to every church
and chapel so that in the event Of a
struggle being forced upon them the
church could be the rallying point.
The nationalist leader declared he
was convinced 1t would take an army
such as England could i'll spare to
carry out conscription in ireland. He
was also convinced tha<the govern
ment would split on the Irish rock and
instead of destroying the Irish nation,
the Irish would destroy them.
Prof. de Valera said his followers
would unite with those Of Mr.. Dillon
to defeat conscrtption. With reference
to the issue raised in East Cavan, he
said there was only one arbitrator to
whom the Sim Fem would submit
namely the free CHOICE of the electors