The Duke of Northumberland and Sir Edward Carson headed a
large deputation of Unionist members who waited on the Prime Minister on Thursday week to emphasize the gravity of the situation in Ireland and the close connexion between Sinn Fein Republicanism and Bolshevism. Mr. Lloyd George in reply agreed that Sinn Fein was receiving Bolshevik support, but he contended that it was also an old Irish feud which broke out at intervals. He assured the deputation that the Government were trying hard to strengthen the forces of order and the authority of the law. The number of ships sunk by the U boats off the Irish coast showed that "the British Empire, if it surrendered control over Ireland, would be committing suicide." But the Government, to enforce the law in Ireland,
must be supported by British opinion, and especially by "the solid mass of Labour opinion which is sensible, moderate and sound" as compared with the few extreme men. Therefore the Government, while repressing crime, must offer Ireland "reason- able freedom within the British Empire," as defined in the present Home Rule Bill.
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