The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-02-23
LAWLESS M0BS
RIOT IN IRELAND
Anarchy Is Rampant. De-
clareS 'IriSl TimeS'-SOuth
and West Affected.
FARMS RAIDED OPENLY
Sim FeinerS Held Responsible
for Increase Of Anarchy
Soldiers Attacked.
FARMS RAIDED OPENLY
Npecd! cdjle Despatch 10 Tak ST..

'opyrioh.. 1878: al rights reserved
LONDON. Feb. @2.--Tho Irish Times,
always fairly moderate Journal says
IN its issue OF February 10 that the in
creas So o: lawlessness in Ireland has
become SO serious that the leading or
gans Of the Nationalist press have felt
themselves constrained TO call attention
to il. The character OF the present dis
orders Is not less remacka Bile than their
quantity. There have been times
within living memory when serious
crimes have been more frequent than
they are to-day. but there is no precc-
dent for the variety and audacity OF Of
fences which are now reported from
nearly all parts OF the south and west,
These crimes reveal not so much n
deliberate disregard OF the sanct!t!es OF
life and property as a deliberate defiance
Of law because It is law. There appears
to be n large class OF persons who wish
to show that Ireland cannot be governed
by British law. and they propose to
achieve their end by creating n state Of
anarchy. They are striving with de-
the Government has become powerless
To guarantee the ordinary securities Of
civilization to any OF its citizens.
Raids for arms continue to be made
with impun!ty in the country districts.
During the present month several large
cattle drives have been carried out with
the utmos. publicity in the west OF Ire
land, In OF least three cases within
three weeks crowds. accompanied by
a. N~.I fa
inandeered them In the name OF the Irish
Republic
Open Contempt for Law.
"a special feature of the recent out
RACES have been their open contempt for
and defiance of the agents OF law the
processes Of law and tho Kings uniform,
In Ennis less than fortnight ago
twenty-three men who were being prose-
cuted for cattle driving decided tho mat
ter by the simple method of walking out
OF court. From the county of Cork we
have received reports of attacks on col
diers in uniform. At midnight on Sat
urday six armed men held UP the care
takers OF the airdrome In the county
Of Dublin and decamped with the maps
and papers. the property OF tho Govern
inem. These are only a few OF the law
the first eighteen days OF February.
1.-THE main cause OF these disorders Is
the Sim Fein conspiracy to destroy
British Government in Ireland. 1t
works in various ways on the minds OF
cxc!table youths In the country and OF
half baked Socialists in the towns. Some
prove their loyalty to republican ideals
by insulting soldiers and intimidatinE
women In lonely cottages. Others, In
spired by the peasants greed for land.
have been invited to watch the glorious
progress Of events In Russia.
I'VE have no doubt that the recent
seizures at Earth are the first fruits OF
Bolshevism In Ireland. Indeed, our Irish
patrons OF Lenine and Trotzky may yet
find, like the Oriental fisherman. that 1t
n one thing to let the Genie out OF the
bottle and quite another to put him
back
"The chief cause Of the present law
F; lessness Is the fact that 1t creates local
heroes at little or no cost to themselves
Crime Is popular because 1t goes un-
punished. There never was time IN
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