The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-13

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for the government to make any ex-
ception in his case. Were they to do so
1t would break down the administration
or law in the United Kingdom, for all
prisoners would claim the same privi-
lege." Now, with all respect, we ven
ture to say this Is nonsense. Numerous
exceptions have been made in the
course of the last ten years, and none
OF the consequences declared by Mr..
Lloyd George is to be inevita BILE has fol-
lowed. The fact is that it is only under
very special and exceptional circum-
stances that the hunger-strike can sue
coed. II can succeed only when in the
first place the hunger striker is pre-
and the certainty Of physical pain and
injury. 1t is essential also that he
should have a great body of public opin-
ion to support him. No isolated crimi-
nal would be likely to undertake such
an ordeal unaided, or, if he did and
he were guilty of some common offense,
he could be forcibly fed, as indeed
sometimes happens. In the present in
stance the whole matter is not a ques-
ton of mere legality. There is little
fences by court martial under the pro-
visions Of the act for defense of the
realm, contrived as a Far measure
against Ireland, 1t is a question of
it would have been better had Mr..
George frankly treated 1t as such. Thus.
when the government thought that
policy dem9nded the release OF hunger
striking Sim Feiners, released they
were. Now that the government is on
another tack and strong measures are
the order of the day what was possible
before has suddenly become impossible,
and the foundations of law in the whole
of the United Kingdom are discovered
to be imperlled II the very thing is
done now which was done before with
out any sign OF such disastrous conse-
quences. The plea is in fact a false
plea, and Mr.. George In the very act
of defending 1t incidentally gives evil
dence that It Is false, for he alleges.
in the formal document issued from
Lucerne, as reason why hunger
strikers cannot be released now, that
when they were released before the re-
suits were disappointing It would seem
that the same policy might have been
adopted now. That is to judge the mat
ter on the ground not OF legality but
OF general policy, and the question be-
comes one no longer of law but of poll
enough 1t Is perhaps the gravest and
most menacng which this government
has yet been called upon to meet.
For let there be no mistake. Rightly
or wrongly, of course. so far as moral
guilt is commemorative death of the
lord mayor of Cork will be regarded by
natninalists in Ireland and right thrugn
the Irish world OF America and the |
Dominions as politicaf murder ana |
the victim as a martyr to a great and !
sacred cause. That cause will he con- |
frmed and sanctihed by his blood. ana |
every evil and every danger by which
rounded will be exasperated and intensi'
fed. Cancellation, difficult enough be-
fore, will become doubly difficult. AMI
mostly. bitter enough before, will be-
venge, cruel enough before. will be-
come more cruel, and we shall have
entered on a fresh and more hopeless
stage of a quarrel which already was
battling the best minds. In other words,
an act carried through in the name or
the law and OF high policy will breed
immense lawlessness and defeat every
aim which decent and rational policy
can have in view, Is Il likely that II
this had been wise thing to do such
day. where the most conservative and
elements in Irish society
were assembled. would have unani-
mously petitioned for the exact con-
trary2 These men know Ireland. and
they know what such fatal step as
that now In view portends. Only ono
means OF escape now remains. The
Prime Minister, hampered as he Is by
political ties and committed by the act
II his colleagues in the ministry, cam
line for the king TO exercise his SOW
areign prerogatiVe OF clcmency. Tie
,ould do no iuster, no more universally
popular act, none which would go SO
ar TO restore the menaced authority
u the crown in Ireland. His ministers
themselves would breathe sigh of re-
tef and the country would he saved
rom a great dascer. II Is open to every
nan 10 petition him, There is no time
or organization. Whatever can be done
must he done at once. Mr. Redmond |
Toward has led the way, and the an
wer sent 10 HIM which we publish
oday, Is full of encourag ement