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Show IRISH I ill i Oil I ANGRY Lloyd George's Speech I in House a Bomb- II shell. II DRAMATICJCENES I Conscription and Home j I Rule Cheered and I I Protested. I LONDON. Tuesday, April 9 A political po-litical bombshell was thrown in the house of commons today by David i Lloyd George, the prime minister. ; when he announced that conscription would be extended to Ireland and that the government intended to extend home rule to Ireland The scenes dur-' dur-' ing the course of the premier's speech I in reference to Ireland were dramatic, approving cheers and cries of protest arising from all parts of the house. I During the latter part of his speech I the premier was frequently intcmipt- ed by angry Irishmen. A test of , strength soon developed when Joseph ( I Devlin, Nationalist, moved a motion to adjourn. The government carried ' a closure on bis motion and then adjournment ad-journment was defeated by an overwhelming over-whelming vote. Dillon Denounces Conscription. Irish disapproval of the proposed j measures was not foreshadowed by ' the attitude of the Nationalist leader j nor did the Ulster faction show any j signs of conciliation. John Dillon, the successor of John Redmond, de i nounced conscription. Sir Edward i Carson, the Ulster leader, while ap 'proving conscription, objected to the introduction of the home rule measure jat this time. The bouse approved the introduction of the government's man-1 man-1 power bill by 299 to SO and it was an ! nounced that time for discuseion of the bill had been extended until next Tuesday. Premier Lloyd George said the ei elusion of Ireland could not be justi-I justi-I fied any longer and the character of the war was as much Irish as English Ireland, through her representatives. I had approved the war and voted to it After read tUlULUU iuv v . ing a declaration of the Irish part approving the British participation in the war. the premier continued: Irish Committed to War. "May I also refer to a speech deliv ered by the late John Redmond at Mansion house, Dublin, when be was addressing a recruiting meeting there He said: 'The heart of Ireland has i been profoundly moved by the spec-i spec-i tacle of the heroism and sufferings of Belgium. The other day in London I ' met Cardinal Archbishop Mercier and I took the liberty of promising him then that Ireland would bring her arms and her strength to avenge Lou-vaine Lou-vaine and to uphold and defend the integrity aud independence of -beJ giura. "'Belgium, Poland. Alsace-Lorraine and France. Those are words for the Irish people to think over. There nev-I nev-I er was a war in which higher and nobler no-bler issues were at stake. I have j heard some people epeak of this war as an English and not an Irish war. This is absolutely and definitely untrue. un-true. Ireland's highest imperial inter-esta inter-esta are at stake ' Conscription Question Reviewed. "The fact that America is in this war is the best proof. There are more Continued on Pajre 14 IRISH AGAIN ANGRY (Continued from page L) people in the United States than there are in Ireland. They are all subject to conscription. (Captain W. A. Red-j Red-j mond. son of the late Irish leader, interrupted: in-terrupted: 'Not by England') Irishmen Irish-men in Great Britain are subject to conscription and so are Irishmen m I Canada. Mr. Redmond in addressing I this house on the military service bill j in 1916 said 'Let me stale what is impersonal im-personal view on this matter of compulsion com-pulsion I am contpnt to take the phrase used by the prime minister in this last speech and I am prepared to say that I will stick at nothing which is calculated in order to win this war and this is the view. I am certain, cer-tain, of the people of Ireland.' Then he was opposed to that particular bill But he said that with him conscription was not a question of principle, it was purely a question of necessity for the raising of men. I think the member for Mayo (Mr. Dillon) took substantially substan-tially the same view in a speech which he delivered at the same time. The member said: " 'We are now engaged in discussing an important political proposal for the country. Like the member for Water-ford Water-ford (Mr. Redmond). I iew the thing ; from the point of necessity and expe- I diency and in particular circumstance. I I would not hesitate to support con-Iscnption con-Iscnption tomorrow if I thought it was j necessary to maintain liberty and if i there were no conscription that we would run the risk of losing the war.' " Mr. Dillon interrupted: "That was 'conditional on Ireland having the lib-I etty to decide her own fate and if' Irish liberty were at stake I certainly , would not hesitate to support con-I con-I scription " I "I do not want to enter into a con-i con-i trovefay as to what, my friend meant." continued the premier, "but that is j i what he conveyed to the house and if j he will take the trouble to read the I speech he will see that is the case. I mt. iteamona aunseir, on trie third reading, in delivering his speech, put : it on the ground that we were fighting for small nationalities. ('He found that wasn't true,' was the interjection j of Mr. Devlin) The honorable member mem-ber never challenged the justice of the war; on the contrary he supported it. voted for it and supplies and voted for the declaration of war. Never Voted for Supplies. "The premier is going too far," interrupted in-terrupted Mr. Dillon. "I never challenged chal-lenged the justice of the war; I believed be-lieved in the Justice of the war and said so. I never voted for supplies nor did any one else in this house for the vote never was taken. I never challenged the justice of the war and I do not challenge it now. The pre- J niier is going too far when he says that, and most certainly I did vote for the war. I hold very strong opinions: I about the origin of the war." "I am satisfied with the statements1 I made by my honorable friend." con-j i tinued Tremier Lloyd George, "he sup-ported sup-ported the justice of the war. If he' believed it at first an unjust war he never could have voted for it. May 1 1 say so quite respectfully and after al good deal of reflection and hesitation! because, after all. one does not wanti to propose anything to raise controv-j ersy and trouble when, heaven knows, we have as much trouble as we can J possibly deal with I would not do it unless I thought it was Just after! great reflection. Irish Attitude Unjust. I "I' is indefensible that you should ask young men of IS years and mar- i ricd men of 35 and 40 with families i and up to 50 in Encland. Scotland and l WaN s and that you should compel them to fight for the freedom and in- ( dependence of a small Catholic na- J tionalily in Europe, while the young men of 20 to 25 in Ireland are under no obligation to take up arms for a cause which is just as much theirs as ours. It is not merely illogical, it ia unjust "There is such a thing as justice for Kn. land. Scotland and Wales and the em y which Mr Redmond contemplated con-templated and which I stall respectfully respect-fully suggest the member for Mayo also contemplated that we should not v. in this war without taking this measure meas-ure winch has arisen. President Wilson's Wil-son's dramatic declaration in the last few days la the best proof and there i- a special emergenc with regard to, Ireland. Irlah Battalions Sadly Depleted. "Irish battalions and divisions, according ac-cording to all testimony, havt main tained the high nonor and repute of their n.ulp land and those battalions I ' an sadly depleted and W9 now' filled, or half-filled, with Englishmen If it were mere England's battle, the young men of Ireland micht regard that fact with indifference, but it la ' not They are just as much concerned as the young men of England "Therefore we propose to extend the military service act to Ireland under un-der the same conditions as in Great Britain. As there is no machinery in existence and no register has yet been rompl'v.' in Ireland, it may take some weeks before actual enrollment begins. As soon as arrangements arej i complete the government shall by an order in conned put the act into immediate im-mediate operation " "That is a declaration of war against Ireland." interrupted William O'Brien, Nationalist member for Cork, and Michael Flavin, member for Kerry added " And Irishmen all over the world." Without delay"' replied the premier, pre-mier, who continued "Meanwhile, we Intend to invite parliament par-liament to pass a measure for self-government self-government for Ireland." 'You can keep It," ?aid Alfred Rvrne Nationalist for Dublin ' Iet there be no apprehension Both questions will not hang together Each must be taken on its merits, "'said the premier "You can keep both," replied Mr Byrne. "Well," said the premier, "if that Isl ihe view of home rule, it is a new view for Ireland" "While Great Britain is fighting for national rights in Europe with all her reserves and strength, she is prepared to concede the same rights in her own sphere of government. The teport of the remarkable convention which has been held in Ireland and which hasi Just brought Ms proceedings to a termination ter-mination affords the British parliament parlia-ment of approaching this vexed ques-I tlon with more hope of success." "I now come to the question of Ireland Ire-land When an emergency has aris- en, which makes it necessary to put men of fifty and boys of eighteen into the army in the fight for liberty and independence (Joseph Devlin here interrupted) in-terrupted) and small nationalities. And especially, as I am reminded, to fight for liberty and independence and small nationalities, I am perfectly certain it is not possiblo to justify any longer the exclusion of Ireland " Dillon Fights Conscription. Mr John Dillon: "You will not get any men from Ireland by compulsion, not a man'" What is the position""' continued Mr Lloyd -George. 'No home rule proposal ever submitted In this house proposed to deprive the imperial parliament par-liament of the power of dealing with all questions In relation to the army and nav. These invariably are in every home rule bill I have ever seen and are purely questions for the im- perial parliament, so that I am no more claiming any national right than was ever claimed in this house. The ' defense of the realm act was also extended to Ireland. "The character of the quarel in which we arc engaged is just as much Irish as English. May I say, it is more so. It Is more Irish, Scotch and Welsh than it Is even English Ireland Ire-land through Its representatives at tne beginning of the war assented to it. i Mr. Devlin here interjected) "Because "Be-cause it. was a war for small nationalities." nation-alities." "Ireland, through its representa-t representa-t tives, assented to the war. voted tor the war, supported the war Irish representatives and Ireland, through its representatives. without a dissenting dis-senting voice, committed the empire to this war They are as responsible for it as any part of the United Kingdom. Ma I just, read the declaration dec-laration issued by the Irish party on December 17. 1911. shortly after the war b ga n Mr. Byrne interrupted with: ' We havo had a revolution since then" Declaration of the Irish Party, j " 'A test to search men's souls has arisen. The empire is engaged in the most serious war in history It is a just war provoked by the intolerable intol-erable military despotism of Qer man). It is a war for the defense of I sacred rights and liberties of small I nations and the respect and enlarge j ment of the great principles of na i tlonality. Involved in t s the fate of ! France, our kndred country and the chef nation of that powerful Celtic race to which we belong; the fate of I Belgium, to whom we are attached by the treat ties of race and by the com- mon desire of small nations to assert their freedom, and the fate of Poland, whose sufferings and struggles bear so marked a resemblance to our own. " 'It is a war for the high Ideals of human government and international relations and Ireland would be f.il is to her history and to every consid- eratlon of honor, good faith and self-Interest self-Interest did not she willingly hear her share of its burdens ad its sacri-nces sacri-nces ' " Devlin Interrupts Premier. Mr. Devlin interrupted the speaker on a point of order, saying "This is not a matter of petty controversy; con-troversy; this is a matter of most i vital importance to Ireland. My point of order is this and you need not try to howl me down because I will not sit j down. You may try Prussian methods in Ireland but you do not crush us here. "I want to know now, on a point of order, whether I am entitled to move that the house should report progress, in dealing with the matter referring to conschiption in Ireland until such I lime as report of a national convention conven-tion on conscription and of an Iri5h government is presented to the bouse of commons." The speaker of the house "The honorable member would b entitled I to move an adjournment of debate during the course of the debate at the jconclusion of the prlm ministers' speech, but h certainly could not put in a motion of that sort in the middle of the prime minister's speech." Lloyd George Continues Speech. "As I was saying." continued Mr Llod George, 'this convention has just terminated Its labors Thr cabinet, cabi-net, of course, has not had time to consider that report because it has only just arrived I understand it is reported by a majority and I fear thr-majority thr-majority is not such as to justify the government in saying that it represents repre-sents a substantial agreement That means that the government must accept ac-cept the respon bllit Of submitting th question to parliament with such guidance as the convention's report, affords such proposals for the estab- lliahment of self-government in Ireland Ire-land ns they think Just and which can.' in their judgment be carried without; Violent controversy. "We propose therefore, al an early, date, to introduce such a measure into I (the house of commons and to pnss it! into a law with the least possible uridj . . 1 1 1 1 kuc ;uuuf, luru u l upland up-land have been brought in large numbers num-bers into the fighting lino, it is important im-portant that they should fee) tbey are not fighting to establish a right and I principle abroad which is denied to I the land in which they live. Fine Response From Dominions. "I ought to sa that appeals which have been addressed to the dominions have produced a fine response. Th-dominions Th-dominions already have furnished the! pmpiro with something like one mil - j lion magnificent fighting men and they are each and all taking the necessary step to send more. The proposals which I am submitting sub-mitting to the house and to which I ask the bouse to give first reading, I hope it will be possible to get through the house this week Time presses j "or dav and it is a matter of importance import-ance Drastic Measure Necessary We regret having to propose such extremely drastic recommendations which will injure so many trades, but having regard to the emergency 1 say that no government could accept the responsibility of proposing less. oo |