THE IRISH PLOT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4875, 22 May 1918, Page 5

THE IRISH PLOT.

ARRESTS COME AS SURPRISE.

A WELL-KEPT SECRET.

PRO-GERMANISM IN IRELAND.

REBELLION TIMED TO SYNCHRONISE .WITH' OFFENSIVE.

Australian and N.Z. Cable- Association LONDON. May 20. The Daily Chronicle’s London correspondent says the secret was well kept. The arrests came as a surprise to tlie affected persons, .also to everyone outside Dublin Castle. The printer of the proclamation was entrusted only with the headings and formal parts. Afterwards type-writ-ten copies of the effective parts were pasted in the blank spaces. The Dublin residents’ first intimation that anything unusual had occurred was the continuous' harking of dogs several hours after midnight, while motor lorries with the prisoners were being driven through the streets to Kingston. Early risers found a large ’number of soldiers guarding the jetty and learned that the Sinn Feiners were aboard a warship. The arrests have nothing to do with the anti-conscription campaign, or the Sinn Fein as an organisation, or with seditious speeches. Some of the prisoners are not Sinn Feiners. Every arrest was solely based on suspicion of treacherous communication with the enemy. It is rumored that incriminating documents were found on a-nian captured in a collapsible boat, also that there was another capture off Kerry. The correspondent says: “I believe something more definite has found its way to the British Government from a friendly country which exposed the earlier plots against the Allies always ill the nick of time. I firmly believe the prisoners- will not he court-mar-tialled or brought to public trial. The. Government will scrupulously abstain from giving any cause for disorders among the Irish public.” Irish newspapers unitedly deny that there is any pro-Germanism in Ireland and state that therefore the Government must recognise the necessity of justifying the arrests by the production of satisfactory evidence. The arrests are a war measure, and do not imply the revival of the clauses of the Coercion Act, but war measures must be well grounded. The Government must not lose time in proving to Ireland and the whole world that the plot is genuine. It is unfortunate that the belated grudging withdrawal of conscription, which the proclamation announces, is annulled for the moment by the sensational arrests and discov--1 ery of a plot. . The arrests number over a hundred, including seventy-three Sinn Feiners. who sailed from Kingston to Holyhead, on Saturday. A huge crowd at Kingston cheered the prisoners, the crowd shouting, “Up with the rebels and smash the Nationalists!”

The. police later dispersed the crowd which was commencing to sing “The Soldier’s Song.” Arrests continued in Athlone, Galway. Cavan. Cashel. Sligo. Dundalk. Kilkenny, Clonmel. Roscommon, and Cork, but 'principally Dublin. Four Sinn Fein members of the House of Commons have thus far been arrested, apart from Ginnell, who is serving six mouths imprisonment at Mount Joy prison. Practically the whole governing body of the Sinn Fein movement is in custody. The general belief is that the Catholic clergy will now , abandon the original attitude of stern resistance. A well-known Dublin -wiest said or. Sunday that if it was true a German plot existed in Ireland the majority of the Nationalists would withdraw their sympathy from the Sinn Icm movement and centre their hopes for an Irish settlement in constitutional methods under Mr. Dillon s party It is believed in Dublin that Mr.Dillon mav decide to bring hack Ins followers to Westminster and interrogate the Government regarding the German plot, especially as .Lord French, in a nrocamation. virtually admits that the conscription policy has failed.

CLEAR EVIDENCE OF CONSPIRACY.

PICKING THE SUPREME MOMENT. United Services. LONDON. May 20. The Daily Mail understands that the Government has conclusive evidence of an Irish conspiracy. lbe Germans clearly hoped for a great insurrection to synchronise with the supreme moment- of the gigantic \\ estern offensive.

THE SINN FEINERS.

EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE ACTING. United Services. (Received May 2l 0 5.20 p.m.) LONDON, May 20. The Sinn Fein Emergency Executive, which was nominated before the arrests, has assumed control. It is expected that the. Government will prohibit Sinn Fein agitation.

VARIOUS PRESS VIEWS.

ARRESTS GENERALLY WELCOMED. STRONG HAND NECESSARY. Reuter’s Telegrams (Received May 21 5.20 p.m ) LONDON, May 20. The newspapers urge the necessity tor the Government immediately formulating charges against the Irish arrestees and expediting tne publication of the material facts to give tlio nee-used 1 a full and fair opportunity of defence. The Daily Telegraph says: The supremo mistake of successive British Governments during the past decade has been to allow authority and law to fall into contempt.” . . , The Daily Telegraph .congratulates the Government on having at length determined l to end open treason m Ireland. “They have oast the net wide,” it says, ‘“and we hop© tee Will he no -more pitiful surrender to clamor for the release of the conspirators as poiitioal prisoners. The Morning Post says: “The arrests are an excellent step' towards the re-establishment of firm government in Ireland.” It complains that the Nationalist leaders are left to carry on the seditious agatation against conscription. The Daily Express says: The orazv Sinn Fein plot must be crushed but- we hope and believe the British people will maintain tlieir attitude cf friendship and sanity so- forcibly expounded by General Smuts pledges to- the Irish -people, which must be fulfilled 1 .”

DETAILS OF PLOT. TO BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY. Australian and N-.Z. Cable Association and Reuter’s. (Received May 21, 9.20 p.in.) LONDON, May 20. It is understood that evidence of complicity between the Sinn Fein leaders and the enemy is be ng pared, and, will be published sb-rtly. IRELAND STILL CALM. ARRESTS' PROCEEDING QUIETLY. Australian and .N.Z. Cable Association (Received Mav 21, 8 p.m.) LONDON, May 20. Ireland was still outwardly calm this morning. , Arrests continue quietly throughout the country. The latest arrests include Maud Gonne, widow or Major Mcßride, who was executed in 1916. SINN FEIN EXECUTIVE. PRACTICALLY ALL ARRESTED. United Services. (Received May 21, 11.15 p.m.) . LONDON. May 201 Official: The members of the CeatlfU Executive of the Sinn Fein totalled 30, and only, seven have not been arrested. These include two women .and three priests