Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-06-21
Land DISPUTES
!, AROUSE IRISH
Disturbances in Western
Counties now more Agra
rian Than Political in
- Nature.
CURFEW LAW LIKELY
Courts of Arbitration to Set
tie Claims of Dis
) putants.
(By the Associated Press.)

Dublin, June 1S.-In several of the
western countries of Ireland, disturb
ances are now more agrarian than poll
teal. The Sim Fein seeks to control
the land-movement and prevent it get
ting out of hand. 1t has been decided
that nobody shall be attacked or his
cattle driven to make him sell part of
his land unless he possesses more than
500 acres. This is very exceptional
amount for any tenant to hold so that
the agitation in future will he directed
solely against landlords and ranchers.
ProclamatOns have been issued III
the disturbed counties in the names OF
their parliamentary representatives
fOrbidding claimants to land to act in
the name of the republic They point
out that many of the claims which
have been made are without fOundh-
ton, and only serve to create i'll feel
ing between those who ought to be
friends and comrades, which is anoth-
er way of saying that even good Sim
Feiners are being squeezed.
Arbitration Courts.
Machinery is set up for the arbitra-
ment of claims, which in future are to
be sent to the registrars OF district
courts set up under the authority of
the Dali Eireann. Courts on these
lines, though without the formal auth
Ority, of the Dali Eireann, have for
some time been functioning in Galway
and other counties. Their decisions
have not infrequently been In favor
of the owner of the land against the
claimants.
In some cases such decisions were
defied. ThcreupOn the recalcitrant
parties were promptly placed under
arrest and conveyed by Sim Feiners
to unknown destinations. Such arrests
by Sim Feiners, in pursuance OF a
policy of endeavoring to maintain pub
lie order in property and social mat
ters, are not uncommon. Nobody knows
where the prisoners are or what hap
mems to them, but the arrests tend to
strengthen popular dependence on Sim
Fein power.
Martial Law Applicable.
The application of martial law which
is so often talked Of is II simple matter
Under the defence of the realm act,
still in force, it can he applied to any
extent anywhere in Ireland. It's gen
eral application to the whole country
in all it's completeness is, l believe.
not contemplated. But nearly all dis
tricts have had it partially applied In
some form, and some districts have
had it fully applied. At the moment
it is only in partial application any
where.
In Dublin it is manifested princi-
pally in the curfew law which has had
but little effect on the life of the city.
But its drastic application III certain
districts is a possibility OF the immedi-
ate future. When applied couple. OF
wears ago in Clare it reduced the whole
area to an apparent quiet, and dis
turbance only became possible after
its removal. All activity was depend
cnt on the permission Of the military
commander, and the whole business OF
buying and selling at fairs and mar
kets was controlled, and in some cases
entirely stopped. Any fresh applica-
ton of martial law is likely to be OF
this kind, and to be confined to parti-
culur areas.
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