24 APRIL 1920, Page 3

The release of the Sinn Fein hunger-strikers from Mountjoy Prison

last week apparently meant, as we hoped, that Sir Nevil Macready and Sir Hamar Greenwood wanted to start the new regime in Ireland with as clean a slate as possible. It did -not mean—indeed this would have been incredible—that 'they had any idea of repeating the lamentable policy of Mr. Asquith and Mr. Birrell, who acted in the belief that if you pretend that a tiger is a domestic cat it will purr instead of mangling you. The reports all show that Sir Nevil Macready is taking strong measures to prevent crime and to.protect innocent persons. We trust that there will soon be a complete co-ordination of the troops and the Royal Irish Constabulary, as this is the only coherent method of proceeding wherever force is necessary.