IRELAND.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17431, 17 April 1922, Page 7

IRELAND.

A REPUBLICAN COUP. DUBLIN COURTS SEIZED. (By Cable—Press (Australian and 2\.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, April 14. The biggest coup yet effected by antitreaty Republicans was accomplished in Dublin at midnight. A" force of 400 men seized the Four Courts, which is the seat of the High Court of Justice in Southern Ireland. The attackers marched in two forces and met no opposition. Several police were arrested, but later they were liberated. Meanwhile, the Republicans seized the adjacent Four Courts Hotel, ejected the guests, and fortified both ; buildings, filling the windows with ; sandbags., They forcibly requisitioned the services of passers-by for filling the: bags with sand and clay. These buildings were amongst the first public buildings which the rebels took in the Easter rebellion of 1916. The gravest misgivings are felt. Commandant - General Roderick O'Connor, in command of the attackers on the Four Courts, says:—This is not a coup d'etat. There is not going to be a revolution. We want this place. We arc going to use it only as headquarters. That means that no court work will be allowed, nor any ordinary routine office work. We won't damage public property, and will preserve the public documents.

Hitherto the headquarters of the ormy executive have been in a stionglyfortiiicd building in Painell square. Mr de Valera, in an interview, explained his objections to the present regime. He said the army of tho Republic had now reverted definitely to its former independent status. Asked for an alternative to the present. state of affairs, he suggested the Pail Eireann, as tho Government .'of the Republic, should continue its function until a vote was taken. In the interim, an executive, which tvould command respect from all, could easily be elected and made responsible to the Dail Eireann. He was definitely opposed to a centralised police force, which might be made an instrument of a tyrannical executive *>and used for political purposes. He approved of the suppression of the courts, as they had been superseded by the courts of the Republic, which still existed. Two civilians, bakers named Car» michael and Sloan, were killed, and one was wounded, and four policemen were wounded in street fighting in Belfast early on Friday. AN INDEPENDENT FORCE. NO RECOGNITION OF PARTY AGREEMENTS. (By G»bl»— Prt«B AMooution—Ccpyrigkt.) (KcuWi Telegitm*.) (Received April 16th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 15. General O'Connor, commander of the Republican forces, in an interview, said that his forces were independent of the do Valerites. He stated he would not recognise any agreement reached by the party leaders. His men stood for and were prepared to die for the Republic. They would not permit any Government to replace the Republic. The only means of averting civil war was to cancel the treaty, which, he realised, would mean war with England, but that must come sooner or later. Iceland's chances now were better than they would be four or five years hence. (Received .April lCth, 5.5 p.m.) NEW YORK, April 14. The London correspondent of the "Chicago Tribthe" learns that a vast concentration of irregular troops is proceeding in Dublin over the week-end, detachments coming from Cork, Limerick, Tipperary, and also Glasgow and Manchester. Houses throughout the suburbs are being commandeered. The irregulars have seized buildings on the quays covering the entrance to the port. DE yALERA'S EASTER MESSAGE. (Received April 16th, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 15. The Irish Republican army have seized oth'er publio buildings in Dublin. De Valera has issued an Easter message calling on the young men and women of Ireland to remain true to the Republic. "Beyond all telling it is the destiny God has in mind for Ireland, the fair, the peerless one. You are artificers of that destiny. Yours is the faith that moves, mountains, that confounds cowardly reason and its thousand misgiving. The goal is at last in sight. Steady, all together, forward! Ireland is yours for the taking. Take it." IDENTITY OF MURDERERS. (Received April 16th, 11.40 p.m.) LONDON, April 16. The Dublin correspondent of the "Sunday Express" states that affidavits of several witnesses have been forwarded to the Ulster Premier identifying the murderers of the MacMahons on March 24th as members of the Ulster special police from Belfast barracks. The Southern Government has sent Sir James Craig an imperative demand for the arrest and trial of the accused men.