29 JANUARY 1921, Page 15

THE POWER OF THE PRIEST IN IRELAND. [To THE EDITOR

OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,—May I, very briefly, add to the testimony of Colonel Haggard in your last issue as to the power of the priest in Ireland? I was talking to a well-known steamship owner in Liverpool a few days ago about the Irish difficulties, and somewhat to my surprise he turned vigorously round to me and said, " Mr. Irvine, I am a Catholic (a fact I knew, hence my surprise), and I tell you all the same that the root of the whole trouble in Ireland lies in the teaching of the young priests," laying special emphasis on young priests. I quite agree with Colonel Haggard that the Roman Catholic Church could stop these terrible conditions in Ireland if it liked.—