The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-23
IRISH THREATEN
ASSASSINATION IN
POLITICAL FIGHT
Threatening Letters Are Sent
to High Officers in Present
Government Accusing Them
of Various 0ffenSeS.

DUBLIN, ireland, Dec % Ely r.
| ciprocal. News Service The chi IF
| secretary and number OF highly
| placed persons in Ireland have received
| threatening letters recently Taken in
connection with the common talk Of
Dublin today and with events OF the
/ last two weeks, there is reason to be-
! lieye that it is the intention of the 'e\-
| tremists goaded on by the eliminating
| ries of police and military measures
| intended TO restrain them. to resort to
| political assassination In certain speci-
| fed eventualiues \ guard ot 9Hoo
| soldiers is kept permanently under arms
| In Phoenix park and none of the gov
eminent officials leaves his house CN-
| cept on urgent business
| This critical and dangerous state Of
| affairs arises directly from the new po
| lice orders with regard to the suppress
! sion Of Sim Fem and the treatment Of
| prisoners, which action even the Lon
| don Times dec y mas denounced as
| an Ulster plot. with government con
| nivance, to make any peacofulNpolitical
settlement impossible,
Fight for Prisoners.
A constant struggle has been waged
| to secure for all political offenders bet
| ter treatment than that melted out to
common criminals, Practically all the
which have taken place in Irish prisons
have been due to alleged breaches OF
agreements which had been arrived at
| from time to time on these points Now.
without any warning. an order Is issued
| under which all prisoners OF every kind
are to be treated in the same way, no
matter what their offenSe There IS
to be no alienation at all for political
offenders.
In order to make the full meaning of
the order clear, it is specially provided
that persons who own or drive motor
cars without permits an offense under
recent order, are to be treated as
ordinary criminals. Furthermore, the
order lays down that persons who are
unwilling to give sureties or bail are
to be treated as though they were gull
ty of the offense with which they are
charged-a most astonishing reversal Of
The fundamental principle Of traditional
British justice
Finally the order provides that If any
prisoner goes on hunger strike. ma
ture will be allowed to take its course
This goes directly against an existing
act of parliament known as the "cat
and mouse act" which provides special
ly for safeguarding the lives OF hunger
strikers.
If this order is actually put into force
with fatal results, each death in prison
people in Ireland as deliberate act of
murder. Nor can there be any doubt
that 1t will be met by reprisals OF kind
Already there is plentiful talk of at
tempts on officials in high places Such
actions would be followed, 1t is said
by statements that they are 1.-The nat
uIal outcome of state Of war which
is being manufactured by the British
government" The police protection Of
the vicerov, the chief secretary and
other Dublin castle officials has been
thrilled,
Another inteTference~with civil lib
erty which has caused serious irritation
among the well-to-d do followers OF Sim
Fein does not seem to have shadow
of moral or legal justification. a com.
mission has been set up with the APP
prevail of, but without formal connection
with the Dali Eireann, to inquire int
and report upon the industrial and trade
resources Of Ireland. This commi ssion,
| in the course of collecting evidence,
sent deputation to statutory meet
| ing of the Monaghan county council,
| body which forms an Integral part of
| the British system of government In
| ireland, Its purpose was TO discuss the
| development of Irish trade with foreign
Countries Previous 10 the meeting,
however, a police officer waited on the
| secretary OF the county council and in
| FORMED MN tllhN ANiC BNii~N WV -
structed to suppress the meeting II the
delegates were present at it,
Sim Feiners naturally construe this
as indicating that constructive efforts
at Industrial development In Ireland are
to be treated as illegal II the persons
by whom they are made are known to
be in sympathy with political aspira
ttons unaccountable to the government,
There would be similarity in the cases
If the supreme court of the United
states should refuse to allow one OF
the state legislatures to hear a state
ment from a member OF the |. w, W.
OH labor conditions.
Outside the political sphere one other
d sturbance of the peace is threatening,
The officials ana clerks Of the nine
Irish banks. hitherto regarded as the
one absolutely accomplishing class of
the population having at last succeed
ed in organizing an effective assocla-
ton or trade union. approached the d.
rectors with a view to negotiations,
They were met with an uncompromls-
ing refusal. of recognition. \ strike
has now been declared, the directors
having gone 80 far as to threaten to
dismiss any official who does not sign
a guarantee that he will not join 4
trade union The sympathy of the pub,
lie is almost entirely on the side ot
the bank clerks, but it Is realized that
a stoppage Of banking business for any
considerable time must bring about
l. 4tK,