REBEL COUP D'ETAT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 89, 15 April 1922, Page 7

REBEL COUP D'ETAT.

DUBLIN COURTS SEIZED. FORCE CF FOUR HUNDRED FOR ARMY HEADQUARTERS. A PARALLEL WITH 1916. I_ftST BUILDINGS THEN SEIZED. |By Cable.—rrcss Association.—Copyright.' (Received 10.;;0 a.m.i LONDON, .April 14. The biggest coup yet effected by the anti-Treaty Republicans was accom- ! plished in Dublin at midnight, when a'; force oi 400 men seized the Four Courts, j which are the seat of the High Court j of Justice in Southern Ireland. The j attackers marched in two foTces and! met with no opposition. Several police ' irere arrested, but later they were liberated. [ Jleanwhile the Republicans seized the I tie adjacent Four i'. "urts Hotei. ejected the guesis and fortified both buildings, j filling the windows with sandbags, and \ very forcibly requisitioned the services | of passers-by for tilling the bags with | sand and clay. These buildings wctc the first public : buildings which the rebels took in the • rebellion of Easter. 1910. and the gravest j misgivings are felt. Commandant General Roderick O'Con- j nor. who was in command of the attackers on the Courts, say*: '"This is not a coup d'etat. There is not going to be a revolution. We want this place and are only going to use it as headquarters. That means that no Court work will he allowed, nor any ordinary | Tontine office work. We will not j damage public, property, and will preserve public documents." ; Hitherto the headquarters of the army executive have been situated in a strongly fortified "building in Parnell Square. j Eamonn de Valera, interviewed, explained his objections to the present regime. He said that the army of the Republic had now reverted definitely to its former independent status. Asked ! for an alternative to the present state • of affairs, he suggested that the Dail "Eiranu, as the Government of the Republic, should continue its functions •until a vote is taken. In the interim an executive which would command respect from all could easily "be selected and made responsible to the Dail Dirann. He definitely opposed a centralised police force, which might be Bade an instrument of a tyrannical i executive used for political purposes. I He approved of the suppression of the j Courts, as they were superseded by the Courts of the Republic, which were still In existence. —(A. and N.Z. Cable! THE _*ERMA_rAGH TRUCE. A NEUTHAX ZONE. DUBLIN CONGRESS ADJOTJRKS. LONDON, April 14. The commandants of the LTlster forces in Fermanagh and of the I'reo State forces, have agreed to institute a neutral zone in certain districts. The m-ilitary forces are to be withdrawn several miles. Both undertake to punish adherents for provocative acts. Tarts of the Southern border line, however, are held by de Valera, who docs not recognise the Free State Government's orders. Details show that the Fermanagh truce. does not bind the mutinous republicans, trho hold several positions on the border. Mr. Bennett, under-maJiapcr for Harland and Woolff. Ltd.. was shot while going to work this morning. The police and military were summoned, and arrested a man found in the. Works in possession cf a loaded revolver. —Ileuter. The conference convened by the LorU. -Mayor of Dublin to consider a truce 01 the settlement of the differences between the Free State and Republican parties met at the Mansion House on Wednesday. Xo agreement resulted, and i he sitting "KTls adjourned till Wednesday- It ia officially announced that all parties tx» the conference desire no interference by public meetings.— (A. and N.Z. Cable.) MTTRDER IN BELFAST. TWO KILLED, FIVE WOUKTJED. (Received 11.S0 a.m.) LONDON, April UPonr policemen were shot in Belfast during the night, nlso two bakers named Carmichaei and Sloan, both of whom arc dead. One other civilian was wounded. — (A. and N.Z. Cable.)