The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-04-02
IRELAND
GREATLY
AROUSED
Storm of Protest Over Charges
in London Press That Sim
Fein Killed Mac
Curtain.
CALLED FoULEsT LIBEL
High Sheriff Of Galway Threatened
With Drowning in Lake Unless
He Granted Land
Reforms.
CALLED FOULEST LIBEL

| United Press Leased wire oeifICe.I
DUBLIN, April 2.-The apparent
assured success of Prime Minister
Lloyd Georges new home rule bill
and charges in the London press that
Thomas MacCurtain, lord mayor OF
Cork, recently assassinated, was
killed by the Sim Fein had aroused
a storm of protest here today against
British rule in Ireland.
Newspapers were unanimous IN
their attack upon the prime minis
ters new plan for home rule
'.Thc bill surrenders three-fourths
Of ireland to anarchy and plants
cancer in the, very heart Of the EN-
pire." the Irish Times declared.
The charge that MacCurtain was
killed by the Sim Fein, of which he
was member, was denied by Arthur
Griffitfls, acting president OF the or.
ganization. He said:
'The charge is the foulest libel on
the Irish patriotic and nationalist
movement since the publication OF
the infamous Piggott forgeries.
'tMacCurtain was murdered by Ire
lan's enemies. but, although Eng
lands assassins may strike down the
individual Sim Fein leaders, all Eng
lands power cannot assassinate the
Irish nation"
One hundred armed men raided the
residence of the high sheriff of Gal
way Wednesday. demanding certain
land reforms. When the sheriff re-
fused, they dragged him toward a
lake, threatening drowning. He ca
pitulated.
Lloyd Georges Home Rule Bill
IBy e. l.. Keen, United Press STAFF
Correspondent
LONDON, Apr. 2.-The government
has passed it's last obstacles in ef-
forts to assure passage of Prime Min
lister LlOyd-George's new bill for home
rule in Ireland, officials close to the
prime minister said today. They
quoted the prime minister as express
ing complete satisfaction with the
parliamentary situation and believing
final passage of his bill was certain.
Everybody was aStonished at the
ease with which the prime minister
disposed of Asquith and Lord Cecil,
whose opposition the coalitionists had
feared most" one official declared.
1t was the opinion in political cir
cles that Asquith as leader of the Op-
position party had failed in his efforts
to break the ranks of the coalition
lists even with Lord CeciPs coopera-
tion. Id
Failure of the opposition was attri-
buted to the fact they attacked the
bill destructively rather than con-
structiyely.
The appointment of General Nevil
Mac Ready to the head of the military
forces in ireland and the resignation
of Ian Mac Pherson, Irish secretary in
the prime minister's cabinet, were
pointed to as proof that the govern
ment intends TO carry through its
Irish program without hesitation.
The government, in the opinion of
well informed observers, was prepar
ed to ''go the limit to make the prime
minister's plan a success, even erect
ing a barrier of bayonets between
Ulster and the Sim Fein districts if
necessary. an
A report that Lloyd-George and Mac
Pherson had received messages threat
ening their lives, could not be con-
firmed in Downing street.
Picketina British Embassy
WASHINGTON, Apr. 1.-TWO WON
en- carrying signs asking the United
States to intervene in Ireland to pre-
vent massacre alleged to be scned-
.uled to begin Monday, ''picketed' the
British embassy here today. Their
picketing consisted in walking up and
down in front of the building.
The women gave their names as
Mrs. James Walsh and Mrs. Harry
Walker and said they would presently
be relieved by others and that thS
vigil will be maintained indefinitely.
There were no signs of life in the EN-
bassy. The picketers attracted q
(Continued on page 2.)