Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-01-18
British Reported as Con.
vinced Coercion Policy
Is Failure
MILITARY ACTIVITY
Greenwood Confers With Premier
Lloyd George-ambassador to Dis
cuss Situaticn.>

London, Jan. ia radical change
in the Governments Irish policy, tent
ing to end the reign of terror, is ex
pec;ed within short time as a re
salt CT weeks series Of conferences
between Premier Lloyd George ans
SIR Hamar Greenwood, Chief Secre
tary for Ireland. Sir Hamar mas beer
the guest Of. the Premier at Chez
quers and departed yesterday for Ire
land.
That martial law and military coer-
cion have failed to produce the desired
effect is admitted even in quarters
which were once the most optimistic.
1t is learned on the best authority
that the Government now realizes two
sapremely important facts regarding
Ireland, that military rule is driving
the moderates to the extremists
camp and that the Sim Fem viii not
work under the Home Rule act beyond
coHtessing the elections in order to
keep other parties from setting up a
parliament. With this realization, for
the first time, there is real gleam
of hope that the present terror VIE
be brough. to close.
What form the new line of proce-
dure viii take is not clear at this mo-
ment, but indications point definitely
to the clearing Of Ireland of both sets
of gunner and that should clear the
atmosphere to. such an extent that
settlements, now regarded as impoS-
.s::3iic, could tie considered. Such pro-
cedura would recons1itute the great
boly Of moderate opinion which. in
the list analysis, should acceps the
terms new rejected contemptucuscy
by the extremists of beth sides.
The impending return of Sir Auck-
land Geddas, Ambassador TO the
United States, may be of Importance
in this connection, as it has been an
nounced that he iS coming home to dis
cuss with the Premier questions of
.Anclo-Amer:can policy, and the Irish
problem is considered as ore Of those
to DC taken up.
Meantime military activity in Ire
land is proceeding at full blast. The
most extensive raid. ever carried out
by the Crown forces in Ireland, which
was started Saturday night. ended
last night.
Official quarters remain silent on
the reasons for the unusual activity.
and first reports in Dublin ascribed
it to the desire to protect the court
wherein John Murphy. Of Cork, whose
death sentence, commutcd to Wednes-
Cay, was to be granted an appeal.
However. Murphy, who is accused of
participating in an ambush. was yes
terday granted a reprieve to Janu-
airy &c, and hearing on his application
for an appeal was postponed to Jam
uary "a.
Other advices from Dublin say that
leading Sim FeinerS are believed 70
have boes- the objects of the search,
the names of De Valera and Collins
being mentioned among others. Color
is ler, TO this theory by the fact that
only Two ~Temportant arrests have
been made on the raid thus far.
Six men were arrested this morn
ing in connection with the attempt to
Sc: cn fare the premises Of the Va
cum Oil Company. at Wandsworth,
last Saturday. The police allege that
i: IS their belief one OF the prisoners
iS the virtual leader of the so-called
Sim Fem terrorist garg in London.
They assert. further. that large col
lccticn Of documents seized indicate
the convection of the arrested men
with the Sim Fein movement.
Dublin. Jan. lS.-A detachment OF
soldiers from the Essex Regimert
says an announcement from genera!
headquarters Yesterday, surprised 2
party Of men preparing an ambush al
Timcleaeue. Courty Cork. There was
an exchange Of shots and 25 civilians
were captured. The troops suffered nc
casualties.