17 JANUARY 1920, Page 2

We are reminded of the story of a well-known Irish

Nationalist who informed an English visitor, during the days of the Land League, that there was no such thing as crime in Ireland. The visitor had no sooner left the house of his host and was walking down the drive than a shot was fired at him. Returning in- dignantly to the house, he exclaimed " Why, I cannot even go outside your house without being shot at 1 " " That's nothing at all 1 " retorted the Irishman composedly. " It's only some blackguard in the shrubbery." So, for our part, we prefer to connect the attack upon Serjoant Sullivan with his wonder- fully spirited and moving denunciation of Irish crime which was published lately in the Irish newspapers in the form of a reply to Bishop Fogarty's Sinn Fein letter. Let us take two sentences from that reply which are a true text for the government of Ireland : " There is no badge of slavery so degrading as sub- mission to crime. There is no cowardice so contemptible as that which seeks to placate criminals."