PATROL BY AIR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 204, 10 June 1933, Page 5

PATROL BY AIR

ON COAST OF FREE STATE.

RUMOURS OF GUN-RUNNING.

ILLICIT DRILLING REPORTED.

(United Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, June 9.

The appearance of both Free State and British aeroplanes apparently patrolling the southern coast of Ireland has revived rumours of extensive gun-running. The Cork correspondent of a London newspaper reports that there is unwonted military activity coupled with official reticence. It is recalled that the Minister of Justice (Mr James Geoghegan) was questioned in the Dail" last week re» speeding an incident in West Cork, in which 70 men, armed witli new rifles and two Lewis guns, allegedly occupied an isolated village during the week-end for the purpose of chilling. The Minister replied that the police were inquiring.

Last November the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs (Mr J. H. Thomas) was asked in the House of Commons whether he was aware that quantities of arms were being imported into southern Ireland from Russia. He replied saying that it was purely a matter for the Government of Ireland. At*the same time the “Daily Mail” recalled the repeated reports of gunrunning along the wild stretches of the coasts of Cork and Kerry, enabling the Irish Republican Army to replenish thier secret dumps. Strength had been lent to the reports by stories of British destroyers stopping vessels bound for Irish ports, also by recent inquiries made by Civio Guards. There was some suspicion that arms were being shipped from Russia and transferred on the high seas to vessels going to Ireland, but the authorities declared that no proof of that had been obtained. In the previous June a special correspondent of the “Daily Express” wrote: “I understand that, despite the vigilance of the British Navy, whose destroyers have been patrolling the southern coast of Ireland and its sea approaches, rebel Irish gunmen have succeeded in landing a quantity of arms and ammunition for the equipment of the Irish Republican Army. “Cottagers along the Cork coast knew of the project several days before it took place, but I am able to reveal that the preparations for the coup were made two months ago, when a convention of the headquarters staff and the divisional officers of the irregular army was held in Dublin to decide the attitude of the various organisations toward the new Government. “The convention was attended by I.R.A. delegates from America, who outlined, thfe steps which the American branches of the organisation would take to assist the parent body, both by supplies of money .and arms, to achieve its goal—the establishment of an independent Irish Republic.

“There were also reports from a ‘director of training’ and a ‘director of recruiting,’ while one delegate referred proudly to ‘a supply of sub-machine-guns’ (presumably Thompson machineguns) which wore about to be lauded from a foreign country into Southern Ireland.

“Two British destroyers at Queenstown and Castlebar recalled their crews from shore leave and have been patrolling the south coast of Ireland for the past week.” Admiralty officials disclaimed any knowledge of gun-running activities, but it was announced that destroyers which were dispatched on “emergency exercises” ,had been recalled, although none of them had reached its home port.