The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-08-28
RELEASE MAYOR
OF CORK, LABOR
TELLS PREMIER
Thomas Warns That Fail
ure to Act Means Bitter
Civil War in Empire.
CABINET Is CONSULTED
One Member Agrees That
Lloyd George Should
Move at Once.
MACSWENEY is WEAKER
Conscious and Able to Talk
on 18th Day of His Hun
ger Strike.
MACSWENEY IS WEAKER

SpecaI cable Despatch 10 THE Sun AND NEW
YoRV HERALD, Copyright, 1890, by THE Sun
AND New York HERALD,
LONDON, Aug. 27.-James Henry
Thomas, one of the most important OF
the British labor leaders and secretary
OF the railwaymen's union, to-day took
up the fight on behalf of Terence Mac
sweeney, the Lord Mayor Of Cork. Mac
sweeney to-day was very weak but con-
scious and able to speak. This was the
htteenth day Of his hunger strike.
Mr. Thomas sent a despatch to
Premier Lloyd George, who is in Lu-
cerne, Switzerland, in which he said
that the Government must abandon all
hope of conclliation in Ireland and be
prepared to fight out the bitterest civil
war the empire has known unless the
Lord Mayor OF Cork is released.
Although Mr. Thomas refused to
discuss his message to the Premier, It
was understood that II was despatched
after he had talked with leading men,
bers OF the Cabinet who are now in
London, and that at least one Of them,
and probably the most important men,
ber OF the Cabinet, agreed that the
Premier ought to act at once.
Mr. Thomas in his telegram said that
Mr. Lloyd George must have made his
statement OF last Wednesday before
learning Of the Kings action in response
10 the despatch to him from Redmond
Howard. nephew of tho late John Red
mond, and he expressed the hope that
the Premier would now see the. light
A similarly bitter message was sent
to the Premier by James O'Grady, a
Labor member OF the House OF Com
mons, and who on behalf Of the Premier
opened the negotiations with the Rus
sian Bolsheviki in Copenhagen for the
release of British prisoners Of war held
In Russia. Mr.. O'Grady, after an ap-
peal for mercy for Mr.. MacSweney and
denunciation of the alleged blindness
OF the Lloyd George Government, said
Unless you act, to hell with you and
your Government
One report from Brixton prison, where
Mr.. MacSweney Is held, said that one
Of his lungs had collapsed and that he
was breathing with great difficulty. An.
other report was that he might live an
other week. Mr. MacSweney and his
family remain adamant, refusing to
appeal to tho Government for mercy.
LONDON, Aug. 27.--Bishop Daniel
cohalsn of Cork has written strong
appeal to the London Times urging the
release of Lord Mayor MacSweney, say
ing his Imprisonment offends all sense
of Justice.
'The offence charged 20 the Lord
Mayor has no substance" says the
Bishops letter. "The sentence has no
moral sanction and is a manifest In,
Justice"
The Bishop points out that paclfca-
tlon OF Ireland would be rendered more
difficult through harsh treatment Of the
Lord Mayor.
Timothy Healy, former member OF
Parliament In letter to the Dublir
press angrily accuses Premier Lloyd
George of overriding the Kings desire
70 show clemency in the MacSweney
case He declares that the Premier "by
closing the gates of mercy with a clane
has made more perverse, ignorant and
awless invasion OF the authority OF the
Crown In Ireland than any man In arms
tgainst It,"