Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-08-21
IRISH DEFERRED
ONLY By FORCE
Country Reported AfIame Be-
cause of Repression.
LIKE EASTER DAY IN 1916
T. p. O'Connor Declares the Govern
ment's Policy, or Rather Lack OF
Policy, Is Reducing the Nation
an Inferno.


seems to be the chief deterrent TO an
other Irish rebellion, comparable to the
great Easter uprising of 1916. Ad-
vices from Ireland indicate no lack OF
'ebellious sentiment, highly Hamed by
he r"n~ossive measures which the
government has undertaken to enforce
with considerable bodies Of troops.
The proclamation declaring illegal
the Sim Fein organization OF county
Clare caused ominous rumblings of the
storm which once broke over Sackvllle
street. The policy Of the British gov
eminent remains as obscure as ever,
but it is regarded as likely that the
County Glare proclamation is merely
sample of similar edicts which will I'M
dertake to exterminate the republican
movement throughout the land.
Expect Dublin Castle to Act.
The ban on Sim Fein has already
been enunciated in Tipperary, but
Kerry, Cork and Limerick are verltaDle
hotbeds Of rebellion and it is expected
that Dublin castle will attempt TO en-
force a similar proclamation in those
counties.
In North Kerry and Tyrone there
are prosecutions against Sim Felners
for "unlawful drilling and assembling
the specific charges being that Sim
Fein republicans are engaged IN mil
itary training with a view to nttlng
themselves to beat the British"
Until Lloyd George makes his speech
there will be no clue to the real mean
ing concealed behind this sudden ac-
cent of "firmness' in Ireland. Even
then he may parry the point. but 1t is
regarded as certain that he Will as
cuss the situation in some terms now
ever indefinite.
In parliamentary circles it was re-
ported that since Dublin castle en-
barked on the repression" campaign
the Sim Fein element was doing its
utmost to effect an organized resist
ance to British administration.
lay Agitation to Government.
AS usual, however, there were
charges by Sim Feiners in London
that the alarm is an official creation,
perpetrated in the hope that the people
will rebel, thus giving an excuse Tor
ruthless military measures" These
Irishmen claim that the latest British
move is calculated "atrocity'' where
by the government hopes to provoke
Ireland into a fight and then scatter
the Sim Fein organization The re
preston" it was pointed out, deprlves
a peaceful people of all rights OF free
citizens. wiping out the civil courts ana
substituting no better tribunals than
cOurts-martial wherein the alleged de-
tenders are tried before their enemies.
"This is only another stage OF the
Irish policy-I should say lack OF pol
icv-of the British government" said
T. P. O'Connor in London. 1T is re-
Gucing Ireland to an inferno ana the
story is so old that l cannot under
stand how anybody can fail to realize
that Ireland is now placed in the cen
fer of a vicious circle in which repres-
sion creates violence and violence Gre
ates repression and so on ad infinitum.
"The same policy has many times
nroduced disastrous results and it will
continue to do so until some British
government finds the courage to strike
a: the roots of the trouble and satisfy
the national aspiration of the Irish
reople for voice in their own affairs.
Conditions Similar to 1916.
'The present intimidation Is exactly
similar to that of 1916. Dublin castle
made it's decision under the influence
Of reports from disaffected areas ex-
octlv the same as those which once be-
fore reached Chief Secretary Birrell
lust prior to the Easter rebellion, when
Sim Feiners, openly defying the gov
eminent, carried on a campaign Of out
rage and intimidation against the po-
lice and all others who tried to support
the authorities.
"Only the presence Of large forces of
troops and the Sim Feiners' lack Of
arms are now keeping down the dan
ger of an uprising"