REVOLT THREAT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20137, 5 January 1940, Page 11

REVOLT THREAT

I.R.A. ACTIVITIES EIRE REVELATIONS CABINET SEEKS POWERS MINISTRY ASSAILED FAILURE IN DUTY (Elec. Tul. Copyright—United Press Assn.) tßecd. Jan. 4, 2.20 p.m.) DUBLIN, Jan. 3. The- Eire Minister of Lands, Mr. G. Boland, speaking at an emergency session of the Dail said that the terrorism against which the Government was seeking powers, amounted as a threat of rebellion. Mr. Boland said the Irish Republican Army terrorists held classes for teaching th'e manufacture of explosives. A total of 150 men participated in the Phoenix Park raid, he added. He disclosed that the police had seized packets of American dollars consigned to the Irish Republican Army which was highly organised and was in possession of large quantities of arms. Sometimes, he said, the Irish Republican Army intended to raid Northern Ireland and sometimes intended to stage a coup in Dublin. He added that of the 1,084,000 rounds of ammunition taken from the magazine at Phoenix Park fort of the Eire Army 234.000 rounds had not been recovered.

The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. W. T. Cosgrave, alleging that the Government had failed to d,o its duty regarding the Irish Republican Army activities in England and Eire, said: • The Government does not appear likely to last long. If it had any sense if responsibility or a spark of patriotism it would not only resign as a Government but would retire fr-om public life. “The Ministers know well that some years ago when they themselves were seeking ammunition, they did not dare to enter the tort." Mr. de Valera, he said, was reaping the harvest of the seeds he had sown in 1923 when ne sabotaged the army and paralysed the police after assuming office.