New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-04
Britain Us United
Against Movement
For Irish Republic
Attempt by Sinn Feiners to
Secure independence VIII
BE Vigorously Opposed;
Lloyd George To Be Firm,
BY F. A. Wray

BY F. A. Wray
Nc'e York. TsiJ'sne
EfaoDsan Burcau
lSoeWislt. 1919. New York Tribune Iuc)
LONDON, Jan. 3.-Narious Irish
bodies are still bombarding President
Wilson with appeals to go to Ireland.
and the President would not offend
anybody if he found time to visit Ire
land and study the situation there.
Never before has the Irish problem
seemed so insusceptible Of settlement
as now. 1t is only necessary to cite
two immediate facts to indicate the
present difficulties.
First, seventy-three Sim Feiners, all
pledged to the establishment Of an
IRISH republic. have just been
/ elected members of Parliament, wip-
ing put completely the compare
lively constitutional Nationalist party.
which is now represented only by Jo-
sepn Devlin and six others elected to
Parliament on the Nationalist ticket.
1T is noteworthy that even the fash
lonable Dublin residential quarter Of
81. stephens Green, once a definitely
Unlonlst, not even a Nationalist, dis
trlct, now returns Sim Feiner as
alderman. lie is Tom Kelly. one Of
the leaders of the Sim Fem party.
and he has been% elected by an over
Whelmlng majority
Rebel Plot Revealed
Second court martial now pro
ceedlng IN Dublin seems to show the
existence of a detailed rebel plot at
Wicklow and Wexford, including a
scheme for the blowing up of rail
roads and the capture of police bar
racks and postotfices
linen, only two days ago, Ireland en-
loyed the spectacle Of a hundred Sim
Fem prisoners Selling a wing in the
Belfast jail and fortifying it.
AS far as is known, none of the
seventy three successful candidates,
thirty-one of whom are still in Jail
(most of them will be freed under the
new amnesty), shows the slightest in
and participating in the work Of the
British Parliament Apparently they
are concentrating on the great work
of establishing an independent Irish
republic, and their immediate pro-
gramme seems 30 be to convene q ma
tional council to which they intend to
invite representatives of all other Irish
parties. Probably it will have the
character OF new national conven-
tion, except that on the present occa-
sion the Nationalists and Unionists
Will be abstaning instead Of the Sim
telners. The Irish Labor party, which
IS definitely republican, is almost Ger
tam to accept the invitation to attend,
as well as number of bishops.
Use of WEAPONS Hinted
The business CT the convention will
be to draw up a constitution for q
sovereign Irish state and to appoint
the peace conference at Paris. If the
idea fails, then follows-accordin to
the Sim Feincrs-the deluge. Harry
Roland, the newly elected Sim Fem
member Of Parliament from Roscom-
mon, said yesterday:
"There will be no peace in Europe
while Ireland remains under the heel
Of the English oppressor.'
This undoubtedly represents the
view Of the majority Of the Sim
Feiners, who hint at the use of weap-
ons, a general strike, sabotage and
passive resistance against the payment
OF taxes. | am assured on good au-
thority that the great brewing firm OF
Guinness, in Dublin, has been solemnly
warned to pay no more excise duties to
the British government. Attacks on
property, | understand, are also con-
templated.
Outwardly, there is no talk of an or
ganized rebellion but it is unsafe to
predict what might happen should suf-
iicicnt provocation occur.
Britain Opposes independence
This, then, is the programme of Sim
Foin. which has captured the magma
ton Of three-fourths of Ireland and
whose members include all youths in
Ireland outside Belfast, whose organ
ization is not only excellent locally,
but whose ramifications are world
wide.
Against this the present administra-
ton seems to be prepared to take a
Tar stronger line than the AsQuith gov
eminent did in 1916. Lloyd George
will probably point to the extent of
his endcavors TO obtain a peaccable
solution by means of a national con-
vention, in 1917, and will reiterate his
intense desire to do anything in reason
to produce a settlement but beyond
a certain point he is likely to be ada
mant.
There is not the slightest possibility
Of Great Britain ever conceding the de
mand for Irish independence. as all
sides OF British opinion agree that this
would be a mortal blow to the coun-
try's strategic security Even the sug-
gestion viii not be entertained, from
whatever quarter it might emanate At
the same time it is emphasized here
that Ireland has been more prosperous
than ever before. She has grown rich
from the war, from which she stood
aside, while the rest of the empire sac
rificed itself. If the southern prov
lnces will not accent the offers made
to them and prefer to go to extremes.
the responsibility for the matter rests
on them entirely.