DUBLIN'S WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 155, 3 July 1922, Page 5

DUBLIN'S WAR.

FREE STATE ATTACK

ON REBEL STRONGHOLD.

ONE HOISTS WHITE FLAG

DE VALERA UNDER FIRE.

A DESPERATE BATTLE.

ARTILLERY BOMBARDMEN.

IN SACKVILUE STREET AWT- a

FIFTY REBELS CAPTURED.

fßj Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright)

(Received 11 a-m.) LONDON, July 2. An attack is proceeding in Dublin on the rebel strongholds, in which scattered remnants of Rory O'Connor's army are liolding out. Moran's Hotel, one of the principal points held by the Republicans, Jias surrendered, the white flag being hoisted after two shells had been fired into it. The Gresham Hotel, which forms de Valera'e headquarters, is now Hinder bombardment.

The "Daily Express" correspondent, in 'a wireless message from a steamer in Dublin harbour on Sunday evening, says that a desperate battle is developing. Archbishop Byrne and the Lord Mayor visited de Valera at Gresham Hotel on Sunday morning and asked him to surrender. De Valera refused an accordingly Mr. Michael Collins ordered the attack on the Sackville Street area to recommence. A heavy artillery bombardment followed with fierce fighting in the centre of the city, where a block of buildings is protected by a barricade of vehicles extending for three-quarters of a mile, the windows being filled with (mattresses and the various buildings beins; connected by tunnels. Rifle fire is continuous and many land mince exploded.

Fifty rebels were captured during Sunday fighting in Dublin. There were six further deaths as a result of Saturday's fighting, including a British soldier who was sniped from Moran's Hotel, three other English soldiers being wounded at the same time. De Valera has now Oscar Traynor, formerly commandant of the Dublin Brigade, as his chief military adviser. A letter published suggests that Traynor on Friday ordered Rory O'Connor to surrender the Four Courts on the ground that Traynor was unable to fight his way to O'Connor and could do better if the Four Courts surrendered. The message ended: "T am the senior officer, entitled to order you to make a move which places mc in a better military position." There is no evidence, however, that O'Connor obeyed. Sniping and machine gun fire were Reneral throughout the day. The irregulars laid mines around their positions so that Government troops are forced to advance warily in order to avoid a repetition of the explosion which destroyed the Four Courts. Big garrisons are holding out at Raphoe and Donegal, -where the telegraph wires have heen cut, no one being allowed to enter the towns. Free State troops are concentrating at Inchfort for the reconquest of Donegal—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) DE VAEERA'S REFUSAL TO ATTEND CONFERENCE. FIERCE BATTLE STILL RAGING. SCO REBELS CAPTURED. ((Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 2. Bishop O'Reilly urged de Valera to join the peace conference at Shelbourne Hotel, but de Valera did not reply. A very derce battle is still proceeding, but the rebels have evacuated some of their strongholds in SackviHe Street, 500 being captured.

A Press sheet issued by the Republicans states that General O'Hailley, and Commondant-General Griffin, who were captured at Four ' Courts, have escaped and are again operating with the Republicans, who have been reinforced with men and material.

Free State troops • are garrisoning Trinity College, where the famous Book of Kells, one of the most famous illuminated books in the world, which was prepared at Kells, in the tenth century, and other priceless manuscripts are stored.

Civilians in Dublin are already suffering. The banks are mostly closed, and wage-earners are unable to obtain money. The unemployed are also unable to obtain the dole from the Labour Exchanges. The food supply of Dublin is threatened, as the Republicans are commandeering the contents of shops, and suburban areas have been denuded of food.

The Republicans are also seizing provisions and clothing all over the South. Some shops have been so depleted that they were obliged to close. Scarcely a motor car is now left with private traders, and touring cars have been snapped up everywhere. The Republicans have appointed censors in the provincial newspaper offices, who are cutting out reports of the successes of the Free State troops.

Official reports from the provinces, however, emphasise that the trouble is being effectively dealt with. Free State troops operating in Kilkenny captured Callan barracks, while irregulars in Tipperary burnt all the outlying barracks and retreated to Clonmel. There have been large captures in Donegal, where the Free State troops have c.Vnn'ete control, except in the eastern uistrict, where the "'last ditchers" are concentrated.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) The Belfast correspondent of ffce '"Daily Express" states that Count j Donegal, which has been infested with Republicans for several months, has been practically cleared by a surprising sweep made yesterday, when a large number of rebels were taken prisoner by Free State troops. Rebels F,pized tks offices of the Cork

A MELODRAMATIC FINISH.

A HALF-STARVED GARRISON.

DEATH THE AXTERNATTVE.

LONDON, July 2. The battle for the Dublin Four Courts came to a melodramatic end at four o'clock on Friday afternoon, when General Rory O'Connor unconditionally surrendered. The building was then blazing over the heads of the * defenders, and part had been blown up. Shots were pounding in from the Free State artillery, so that the alternative to surrender was death.

Sixty hours after the attack commenced a white flog appeared, and a rebel officer demanded t«rma. Unconditional surrender was the reply, and 10 minutes later a white flag appeared again, and General Rory O'Connor and 130 men, headed- by a priest, came out with hands up. With them was General O'Connell, assistant chief of staff of the Free State army, whose capture caused the fight. He was not harmed, and immediately went to the Free State army headquarters.

The most dramatic incident in the final stages of the fight was an explosion at 12.30 p.m., which shook the whole of Dublin, and broke every window in the district of the Four Courts. This was the origin of the fire, which is still burning, and threatens to destroy priceless aehives. The explosion threw masses of masonry across the Liffey, and documents from the record office were flung skyhigh. Some fell on St. Stephen's Gretn, a mile away.

About 130 rebels surrendered, most of them youths and some only boys, but flheir haggard faces speike clearly of the ordeal they had gone through. They were surrounded by Free State troops and marched to Mountjoy Prison.

The ammunition of "the rebels was practically exhausted. The garrison was half starved and was practically without sleep for two days.

A later Free State bulletin states that the leader of the rebels admitted that the Four Courts mine was deliberately exploded and he expressed surprise that the casualties were not greater. Tjhe total Free State casualties were three killed and five officers and 50 others wounded.

The rebels shot dead a man wearing the distinctive badge of the first aid organisation and another man' who was driving an ambulance. In consequence of these and other acts of treachery, also the looting of certain premises by persons wearing the guise of Red Cross workers, all such will be shot at sight. The bulletin adds that over 50 more rebels stationed in Capel Street surrendered this morning. The Free State Minister of Defence, "in a manifesto to the Dublin command, states:—"You fought, suffered, and "dared death to make safe for Ireland what she has ju6t regained, and in the hour of victory you showed soldierly restraint in the face of almost intolerable provocaton. This is a shining example. It is said that British troops co-operated with you. The nation spurns this calumny." Telegraphic communication with Dublin has been restored. The opening of the Southern Irish Parliament has been postponed a week) owing to the Four Courts battle. It is understood that intermediaries are attempting to open peace negotiations in Dublin. The Dublin correspondent of the Central News Agency states that the Four Courts fire is still raging unabated. Nothing remains of the magnificent dome except the pillars of masonry that supported it. No effort can save the building. The surrender of the rebels was not marked by the sternness of war. As the captives emerged, the Free Staters shook hands with them, and there was a general atmosphere of smiles, laughter and goodwill.—(A. and! N.Z. Cable.) REBELS IN DUBLIN. TWENTY " POINTS" HEED. DE VAEERA DIRECTS FIGHTING LONDON, July 2. The rebel leaders captured at the "Four Courts appealed td Republicans in other buildings to surrender. Thus far their appeal has had no result. The "Sunday Express" states that the rebels have seized and fortified 20 buildings since the fall of the Four Courts, and the present lull in the fighting will be of short duration. De Valera is directing operations from the Gresham Hotel, where until recently Mr. Michael Collins lodged. Communications between the buildings and the Gresham Hotel have been established by breaking down the inside walls. The rebels also hold the tramway offices in Sackville Street. The rebelß have been ordered to vacate positions in Capel Street, where the next battle is expected.

Rebels stationed at Moran's Hotel, in Talbot Street, which is the present rebel headquarters, fired on an armoured car containing Free State troops. Immediately afterwards the car ran over a land mine in the centre of the roadway and a terrific explosion ensued. Several occupants were wounded. All approaches to the hotel were subsequently barricaded in preparation for an attack. Free State troops are rounding up rebel strongholds in the country.

Mr. McKeon, "The Blacksmith of Ballinalea," interrupted his honeymoon to take charge of the operations. He surrounded a rebel camp near Lough Finn at dawn, and when the Republicans awoke they found themselves hemmed in by a ring of steel. Escape was impossible, and they were given an hour to surrender, but refused. Mr. McKeon, after a two hours' fight, took the camp at the point of the bayonet. Two Republicans were killed and ten wounded. Free State troops seized the railway station at Drogheda, where severe fighting is in full swing. Railway communication has been cut. NO HOPE OF REPUBLIC. THE LABOUR VIEW. (Received 2 p.m.) N LONDON, July 2. Mr J. H. Thomas, speaking at Bradford, said that the Irish rebels were livine in the hope that a change in the complexion of the British Government would bring them nearer their political ideals It would be deceiving them and doing a grave injustice to the future .rood government of Ireland to allow the rebels to entertain such false illusions Liberals, Tories, Coalitionists and Labour were prepared to defend their respective policies, and it would h« deceiving the Irish and embarrassing £c of the Irish GovernI«„r if Labour.did not say plainly that Tbe talk of the Irish republic was a delusion The leading rebels dream of SeJninS no British paxty can concede. iA. and N.Z. Cable.)