The New York herald., 1921-04-20
NO TRUCE, PREMIER
REPLY TO BISHOPS
cOntiaued from First Page.

Continued from First Page.
the various Protestant religious de-
nomina tions in Great Britain, and
have given the serious. earnest atten-
tion to II which 1t is rightly entitled
TO. both on account OF the responsibility
and the public influence of its sigma
tories and the urgent Importance of
the subject with which It deals.
with the general motive OF your
resolution. that of helping bring about
peace with a contented Ireland am
in heartiest sympathy. And It is be-
cause / feel II Is essential that there
should be a full and comprehensive
Government view as to how this can
alone be done that propose to deal with
your arguments in some detail.
"Poiicy of reprisals-
First OF all as to your protest
against the deplorable practice OF in
discriminate and unauthorized reprisals
by the irregular forces OF the Crown
There are no irregular forces of the
Crown The auxiliary division of the
Royal Irish Constabulary to which you
no doubt refer Is regular force for
the purpose OF operations under the
control OF county inspectors and divi-
sional commissioners, who are high
officers of the permanent constabulary.
] set forth these facts because the words
irregular force convey an impression
which seems widely held that the
auxiliary division Is an irresponsible,
self-contained unit. operating without
proper check or control by the civil and
military heads OF the Irish administra-
tion-an impression quite unfounded
''Why the auxiliary division was
formed
Why was the auxiliary division con-
stituted? Authority for the formation Of
the auxiliary division, which Is COM
posed entirely of ex-officers of the navy.
OF the army and of the air force. was
given on July 10, 1920. after fifty-six
policemen. four soldiers and seventeen
civilians had been brutally asSassinated,
and 1t did not come into effective opera
tion until over hundred policemen had
been murdered in cold blood. For all
these murders no murderer was exc
cuted. for no witnesses would testify
to insure conviction, largely because
of intimidation, although many of these
murders were committed in the open
street and in the presence of non-par-
tseipatory If unprotesting, passersby.
Can It be contended that when n
rebel organization. which is based upon
the reputation OF constitutional action.
favors violence and sets to work TO
achieve it's ends by deliberate, calculated
acts against the police force, 80 per cent.
Of which is Irish and ~ per cent. of
which Is Roman Catholic and whose
members always held an extraordinarily
high reputation for tolerance and good
will toward the population they served.
the Government should stand idly by?
TO. n
ed, law respecting citizens must recog
nize that any and every Government
must take prompt and decisive steps to
protect the police and to bring TO jus
tice those who invoke the weapon OF
assassination. But that there has been
any authorization or conformation of a
policy OF meeting murder by giving rein
TO unchecked violence on the other side
is utterly untrue
..Need OF discipline
THAT there have been deplorable ex-
cesSes l viii not attempt to deny. In
dividuals are working under conditions
Of extraordinary personal danger and
strain: while they are in uniform their
adversaries mngle unrecognizable.
amo.lg the ordinary civilian population.
and undoubtedly there have been unjusti-
Fable acts. A certain number OF un-
early days OF novel, exacting conditions
II took some time to establish discipline
But the Government never ceased to
press upon the Irish administration and
the military and the police heads the
paramount Importance that they attach
70 the enforcement of the sternest dis
cipline With your plea for discipline,
therefore. l am in the most complete
sympathy No one II more anxious.
from tradition and position, TO insure
discipline in the forces than are their
official chiefs. If only because indisci-
plino means inefficiency.
During the rasr three months
twenty-eight members OF the Royal
Irish Constabulary and fifteen members
OF the auxiliary division have been re-
moved from the force as. result OF
prosecutions. while EOS members Of the
ROYAL Irish Constabulary and ffty-nine
members OF the auxiliary division have
been dismissed on the ground OF their
being unsuitable members or The police
force In addition to this twenty-fours
members OF the Royal Irish ConStabu-