§ Colonel GRETTONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether many Loyalists, Protestants, and Roman Catholics in the South of Ireland have, owing to the conditions prevailing for some time past, and still continuing, been reduced to an impecunious state, and are in constant fear of outrages being committed on their persons and property; and, in the event of their being compelled suddenly to flee to England for refuge, whether any provision has been made by His Majesty's Government to provide them with lodgings and maintenance in this country?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLHis Majesty's Government do not at present see any ground for anticipating the contingency contemplated in the latter part of the hon. and gallant Member's question, and no special steps have therefore been taken to meet it.
§ Colonel GRETTONasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he is aware that prior to the truce Sinn Fein boasted that the Irish Republican Army numbered upwards of 200,000 men; whether, seeing that under the terms of the Treaty the total Irish Army strength in the 26 southern counties cannot exceed 8,000 men, he can say whether armed volunteers are within the limitations imposed by the Treaty; and what steps he proposes to take to ensure that the terms of the Treaty shall be carried out in this respect?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLI am not aware of the particular statements to which the hon. and gallant Member refers in the first part of his question, nor should I be prepared to accept without qualification the calculation which he has made in the second part. The forces of the Provisional Government are, however, at present well within the number stated. As the hon. and gallant Member is aware, there are,2392W in addition to these forces, armed men in Ireland whose position is ambiguous; and I can only repeat, as regards these, what I have stated before, that the position of the Provisional Government in this transitional period is one of great difficulty, and must necessarily remain so until the result of the elections which will shortly take place. Pending the establishment of the Irish Free State the last part of the question is clearly premature.