ROUND-UP OF I.R.A. MEMBERS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 87, 6 January 1940, Page 12

ROUND-UP OF I.R.A. MEMBERS

Firm Statement By De Valera FORCE TO BE USED IF NECESSARY Measures For Suppression Of Terrorism By Telegraph,—Press Assn.—Copyright. (Received January 5, 9.20 p.m.) DUBLIN, January 5. Even before Parliament granted powers for internment without trial, a big round-up of members of the I.R.A. began with 20 arrests in Cork. Thomas Mac Curtain was remanded at a special sitting of the Cork Court on a charge of murder. MacCurtain’s father was shot dead in his home in 1920. He was Lord Mayor of Cork. Police and .soldiers carried out raids throughout the country, seeking prominent Republicans, who need not be released before the new measure becomes operative. Simultaneously the Government imposed serious restrictions on the import or export of documents and pictures. Mr. de Valera told the Senate: "We can handle the situation by force if necessary. The people’s will must be carried out.” The Constitution would be altered if the Act were unconstitutional." The Dail passed the second antiTerrorist Bill and the Senate passed both. Ulster posted 5000 special constables, each with a rifle and a revolver along the frontier after Wednesday’s Dail statement that Republicans planned to invade Ulster. Much of the ammunition which was stolen in the Phoenix Park raid is believed to have been smuggled to Ulster. Government Criticized. There was further bitter criticism of the Government when both Houses met to deal with measures for the suppression of terrorism. An Opposition speaker in the Dail said the Opposition would give the Government all the powers it wanted to deal with the situation, but could not give the Government the resolution and courage necessary to defend the liberties of the Irish people. The country faced the alternatives of the rule of law and order or of anarchy.

The Minister for Co-ordination of Defence,. Mr. Frank Aiken, admitted that the Government had been too tender-hearted.

The Minister of Justice. Mr. Boland, in the Senate, said that whatever damage the army fort raid had done to the prestige of the Government it would open the people’s eyes to the danger confronting the State.. He told the Dail that captured terrorists would be held regardless of hunger strikes. General Richard Mulcahy urged Anglo-Eire co-operation to ensure that citizens of Eire were not allowed to damage property and endanger lives in Britain.

In the course of the debate on the Emergency Powers Bill in the Eire Parliament the Minister of Justice declared that the I.R.A. was not very strong numerically, but was very highly organized and in possession of large sums of money, arms, and explosives. He said that one man was found to have nearly 8000 American dollars. The Dail is discussing a second Bill to deal with offences against the State. —By radio.