Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1920-10-22
Campaign of Assassination Is
Making the Irish Problem
More Difficult.
ASQUITH ASSAILS PREMIER
Large Part of the Island Faces Block
ade - Poles and Russians Sign
"Peace Without Victory"-Amer-
lean Agricultural Producers
object to Lower Prices.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARD.

The Irish problem, instead of ap-
preaching a solution, seems to have
taken a new lease of troublous life,
and the woes of the Emerald Isle are
increasing instead of diminishing. This
deplorable fact is due directly to the
campaign of murder, arson and intimi-
dation that is being carried on by what
Sir Hamar Greenwood, chief secretary
for Ireland, calls the inner circle of as
~sassins. The daily and nightly as
saults on the police and other officials
of the British government provoke the
latter to bloody reprisals which are to
a considerable extent condoned and
excused by the government. Premier
Lloyd George made a speech at Car
narvon which was interpreted by his
opponents as a justification of the re-
prisals. He said that 23S policemen
had been shot, of whom 100 had been
shot dead, and the patience of the pO-
lice had given way, with the result
that they hit back. Lloyd George de-
clared that if, as was contended, there
was war in Ireland, then the war must
be waged on both sides. But when
policemen were shot in the back by
Sim Feiners the premier said, 1t was
not war but murder. He asked wheth-
er, under the system of terrorism
which made it impossible to obtain
evidence, it was any wonder the police
shot the murderers.
Herbert H. Asquith, former premier,
who sees a chance to return to pow
er, declared Lloyd Georges speech was
a Combination of the hellish policy
of reprisals," and another part of it
he construed as population, root
and branch, of dominion home rule"
He is rallying all anti-government
forces for a fight, as 500 as parlia-
ment opens, over British government
in Ireland. Before that time the dele
cation from the Irish peace conference
is to be received by the premier, and
it Is believed he will then make a new
offer to Ireland. Meanwhile the gov
eminent, says Sir Hamar Greenwood,
is determined to crush the campaign
of assassination, and if necessary will
increase the police force in the island
to many thousands.
One threatened result of the campaign
of assassination is the virtual blockade
of a large part of Ireland through a
withdrawal of the mail and telegraph
service and the entire closing down of
Irish railways. This would mean wide
spread distress and heavy loss to
farmers and traders. Whenever par
ties of troops present themselves for
conveyance the rail workers refuse to
operate the trains, and the railway
directors now have agreed on the in
slant dismissal of these men. The car
rying out of this policy probably will
result in the cessation of railway traf-
fc within a month.
The British secret service believes
1t has proof that the Irish republic
is being aided, financially and by the
distribution Of arms and the %organiza-
ton of an espionage system, by the
Red organization headed by Victor
Kopp, soviet envoy in Berlin. Kopp
handles funds from Russia and organ
ICES propaganda through newspapers
and agents, and the secret service says
it has established the connection of
this intrigue with revolutionary move
ments In Ireland and other parts of the
British empire. A dispatch from Paris
says Sim Fein agents have been trying
to purchase submarines from Italy
and France, brt were told that Great
Britain would consider the selling of
submersibles to them an act of war.