THE CONDITION OF IRELAND.
(To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") SIR,—The successful attack by rebels on the police barrack at Cloyne during the early hours of last Sunday morning fills me with such indignation against the incompetent Irish Govern- ment that I find a difficulty in holding my pen to write this letter. Most of the hundreds of barracks that have been raided during these many months are unknown to me. Many of them are doubtless in very isolated positions. Cloyne I do know; a member of my family was its rector many years before I was born. It is situated about twelve miles from the city of Cork, less than half that distance from Queenstown, and is only a few miles from Fort Carlisle, one of the forts guarding the entrance to Cork Harbour, and, presumably, heavily armed to protect us !tom a German naval attack during the recent war. How, then, :10P-3 it happen that its little garrison of brave policemen were left to fight for two hours without any help and forced to sur- render to rebels practically under the guns of one of His Majesty's forts?
It is about two years ago that, with a flourish of trumpets, we were sent a military Viceroy and told that now law and order would be upheld. If Lord French was not sent here because lie was a soldier, why was lie sent here at all? What experience or capacity has he in anything outside his profession? Surely he was not sent here to give him leisure to write a book. If Lord French is here because he is a soldier, how does it happen that loyal Irishmen are absolutely sickened by the absence of the most elementary precautions on the part of the Executive. Time after time the mail train is stopped on the same line. Day after (lay the letters for the police and military are robbed, so that people who could and might dare not now send information to the authorities. Night after night police barracks are attacked, the telephone- and telegraph wires being first cut, and no means of signalling for assistance is given to the police. I see in the paper that a wireless apparatus has been installed on our barrack. If the Cloyne barrack had wireless or even signal rockets it is obvious the attack would have been defeated and probably the raiders captured.
Lord French has been the nominal head of the Irish Govern- ment for two years, during which law and order have been
disappearing in a rapidly increasing ratio. If he is not per- sonally responsible it is his duty to find out who is. Whoever is responsible should not be merely dismissed but punished— punished as an incapable commander or cowardly officer would be punished in time of war. We in Ireland are tired of hearing one Minister in the House of Commons saying that law and order must be enforced, and another Minister in the House of Lords saying the Government will never surrender to Sinn Fein. We know the former statement is falsified; we fear the latter will be also.
As no protection is afforded by the authorities to any one in this country, I dare not sign my name, but beg to subscribe
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