New-York tribune., 1918-04-10
British to Draft Irish
And Raise Age Limit
Continued from page

,,. the Cabinet. guided somewhat by
1.;sb opinion rs revealed in the de-
hates Of the convention.
The most important statement in
tts nemier's speech, apart from
Iceland. was that General Foch had
noon appointed supreme director of
.b, strategy of the Allied armies
~ the Western front, which is
,.ttn 10 mean that he had super
ssSed the Versailles War Council.
Most Critical Period Here
We have now entered thc most crit
raj period Of the war" said the British
Premier. There is lull in the storm.
hut the hurricane is not yet over. The
is.e of the Empire, Of Europe and Of
liberty may depend upon the success
with which the last German attack is
resisted and countercd"
The Premier said the fight might
continue for seven or eight months.
For the British army and navy, he
sta,ed. almost 5000, 900 men had been
raised already.
The issue Of the great battle might
well be determined, he declared, by
the dramatic intervention OF President
wilson ard his action in placing the
American troops at the disposal of
the Allies. Il was imnossible to over
estimate the Presidents offer, as the
battle might very well be the decisive
struggle Of the war. He added that
the German attack had stirred up the
resolution and determination of Amer
ica beyond anything that had yet been
heard.
The British reserves, he said further.
had been drawn upon to q considerable
extent to make up for wastage If the
battle continued on the same scale, the
drain on manpower must cause anxiety
The Premier said the fighting
strength Of the Americans would be
brought to bear immediately, although
il was imposs Bile to put into France
at the moment the number Of trained
Americans as a separate army that had
been expected. The Americans would
be brigaded with Allied troops.
Extreme Sacrifice Needed
In view Of the critical period. said
the Premier. the government puroosed
TO submi, 10 Parliament certain 1e-
concentrations in order to assist +hc
country and its allies to weather the
storm. He regretted to say thai these
proposals involved extreme sacrifice on
the part OF large classes of the poul-
lation. and nothing would justify them
except the most extreme nece5sitv and
Inc fact that the nation was fighting
.or all which vas essential and most
sacred to the national life.
When an emergency had arisen which
made il necessary to nut men Of fifty
and boys - eighteen into the fight for
liberty, he declared. it was not pos
sible TO exclude ireland from conscrip-
ton by Parliament in which Ireland
was represented and which had com
a.itted the country 10 the war without
dissenting voice
Quarrel of Irish. Too
Fne character Of the quarrel in which
tie country was engaged. the Premier
said, was as much Irish as English.
When Mr.. Lloyd George referred to
ireland, Alfred Byrne. Nationalist mem
Der from Dublin, shouted
I'VE won't have conscription in Ire
land.p
An uproar followed
The report o. ,he Ir;sh convention
vas adopted b. q majority only. and
therefore the government would take
fne responsibility. the Premier said
Tor such proposals for self-governmcnt
as ware jus- and could be carrid out
without violent controversy.
Irish Shout Defiance
L you'd be some weeks before en-
1oinen. began. the Premier continued
Vne Nationalist cried out:
i viii never begin"
Michael Flavln, Nationalist, member
ron Kerry, said: you come across
and try 20 take u.s."
Another Nationalist exclaimed: at Is
aeclara.ion Of war against Ireland"
lne Premier said the nan-power act
Tol.d Dc extended to Ireland under The
same conditions as to Great Britain
aad tnat measure Of self government
'or ireland would DC introduced.
lie sad ne hoped to get the bill
'Hrough al its stages this week, as i
vas matter Of urgency. He was in
-erruptcd by an Irish member, VII,
shouted:
"You viii have TO ge. us out of ths
House Hrs.."
He'1rains, Mr. Lloyo George said
while we have one ship ahoat W.
eaoIid not accept German peace. Tn.
"en being taken row may be tn
means Of decisive issue"
Devlin Interrupts
While me Premier was speaking Jo
sepa Devlln, NATIONALIST member fo
"e's Belfast, interrupted to NOV.
N+aI he House report progress unit
me repor, % the Irish convention wal
presented. This Interruption create,
stCrr1 rT