Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1920-07-03
Responsibility For Rioting and Dis
order Laid Directly to English
Government.
Hopes 20 Provoke People That War
Of Extirpation May Begin as
Punishment.
Ulster UniOnist Leaders Openly Boast
Support i'm Attacks on
Citizens.


The responsibility for the rioting
and disorder in the North of Ireland
was laid directly to the English Gov
eminent in statement just issued
by the Friends of Irish Freedom Ma
tional Bureau of Information in
Washington. England is using every
means in her power, the statement
charges, to bring about such Violent
disorders that she may have excuse
for waging an open war of extirpa-
ton on the Irish people. The state
ment charges that the British Gov
eminent has not only encouraged the
| Ulster Unionists in their attacks up
on the Sim Feiners in Londonderry
and neighboring districts, but has
raised no obstacle to their receiving
arms and ammunition from England.
1t is pointed out that, despite the
great number of British troops in
Ireland, no determined efforts had
been made during the week to put an
end to the rioting, and that the Brit
ish troops have in fact protected and
sustained the military efforts of the
armed and organized Unionists ag-
gressors. The statement reads:
Is upOu a.
war of extirpation. For some time
past her efforts, Instead of being di-
rected to the better government
| of Ireland, have been solely con-
eerned with the instigation of dissat-
isfaction and disorders. She hopes
to provoke the Irish into some act of
violence under cover of punishment
for which she may begin a war of
extirpation. BY her treatment of the
railroad workers, who have refused
to handle munitions in transport for
the British army of occupation, it has
been obvious that her one aim has
been to provoke violence. The riot
ing in Londonderry, with the reports
of which the American papers have
been flooded from British news agen-
cies, are the direct result of the Brit
ish Governments encouragement of
factional ill-feeling in the North OF
Ireland.
"Unionists leaders in Ulster have
openly boosted that they have the
support of the English Government
in their attacks on Irish Republicans
and on peaceful citizens who have
taken no part in political disputes.
During the disorders in Londonderry
Unionists have boosted that they
could import as much arms as they
liked from England, and 1t has been
clear from the dispatches appearing
in the American newspapers that the
British army of occupation and the
English controlled police instead OF
attempting to restore order have pro-
tected. and supported the Unionist
disturbers in their acts of violence
and aggression.
Arthur Griffith, acting President
of the Irish Republic, in a statement
issued at Dublin on June "a, 1920.
called attention to the fact arms and
money have been provided for Union
lists whom the Attorney General in
ireland has named a civil guard"
The report from London ON the same
day, saying that Irish Unionists and
members of the Ulster Ex-service
Mems Association have offered their
services to the British Cabinet for
work in Ireland, should be
noted in this connection.
Nothing should be more evident
than that Sim Fein. as
a national organization, is working
tirelessly for peace and for the resto-
ration of ooier in Ireland. Upon
courts and upon the Re
public volunteer police force has
rested for some time the sole respon-
sibility for maintaining law and ord
err in ireland. 1t is the British Gov
which is the sole originator
of disturbances. England has found
all political and economic forces in
with the exception of the
small group of English-fostered
Unionists in Ulster, united in their
demand for independence. Her sole
hope of avoiding this issue now is a
war of extirpation against the Irish
people, and it is the excuse for this
which she is seeking in her attempts,
TO provoke violence and disorder
there"