STILL AT WAR WITH BRITAIN

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 25 August 1931, Page 5

STILL AT WAR WITH BRITAIN

IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY

LEADERS’ CANDID ADMISSIONS.

(TJnitcO Press Association —By Electric Telegraph

Copyright.)

LONDON, Aug. 24.

A special correspondent of the “Daily Express” at Dublin interviewed the leaders of the Irish .Republican Army at the offices of the Gaelic newspaper “An Pblobacht” —Frank Ryan, ex-school-master, who is slightly deaf, but whose eyes were ablaze with burning zeal for his cause, and Geoffrey Coulter, recently of Trinity College, Dublin, a studious looking youth wearing' a khaki shirt, riding breeches and military topboots. The correspondent talked to the two men for nearly three hours, the Irishmen answering his questions with astonishing candour. They said plainly that the Irish Republican Army believed in force and taking life in certain circumstances. During a discussion on the ethics of killing .Mr Ryan disclosed the consideration which would decide whether the death sentence would be enforced. “We regard the Republican Army as still at war with Britain,” he said. “The Free State Ministers are merely agents of the British criminal investigation department. When that department meddles with politics it interferes with matters that don’t concern it. We need only give the word and every criminal investigation department man would be w r ipod off the streets of Dublin in a night. “England will soon be concerned in another war that will end her rule in Ireland,” Mr Ryan added.