Blue Shirts in Defiant Mood

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7241, 22 August 1933, Page 7

Blue Shirts in Defiant Mood

Parades Held Despite Official Ban GOVERNMENT TO PROCLAIM NATIONAL GUARD ILLEGAL United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph-Copyright. Ecceivcd Monday, 7 p.ra. LONDON, Aug. 31. General 0 ’Duffy doclaroa that the National Guard will continue its work in the open, though members 'face imprisonment and every other form of persecution, in the interests of truth and individual liberty. “It is not illegal,” he says, “for citizens to assemble peaceably without arms; on the contrary, tho constitution guarantees this right. Similarly it is not illegal to march peaceably on tho public highway. The Government's treatment of the 1.11. A., with illegal arms and publicly conducting unlawful military training, markedly contrasts with tho treatment of the National Guard.” Despite the Government’s threats, the National Guard paraded throughout the country. Dublin was uneasy all day. Everything possible was done to' frustrate General o’Duffy’s plans; but two Blue Shirts parades that had been arranged to be held in Dublin actually assembled. A minor scuffle occurred at Cork, where, following a parade outside the Blue Shirt headquarters, where the National Guard flag was hung at halfmast, young men wearing the Irish Republican Army badge seized it. Blue Shirts intervened, and the flag was torn during tho contest. Commanding officers read a special message, exhorting all to pay tributo to the dead by continuing their work. “No good for Ireland would ever «omo of the frantic squabbles of warring parties,” said the message. “If polities mean squabbles, the time has come to abolish politics. Wo arc tho vanguard of a new era in Ireland. Nothing is going to halt our march until we havo attained a united, prosperous, free, peaceful State.” Tho police arrived after tho parades dispersed and met several Bluo Shirts, but did not attempt to stop them, as tho Government had instructed thorn to give tho fullest protection and escort Blue .Shirts to their homes, oven if parades were held. President do Yalcra, speaking at Thurlos, said, “I have received reports that uniformed parades of Blue Shirts have been held. The Government will certainly proclaim the organisation illegal, and tho members will be subject to penalties under tho Public Safety Act. “I regrot O’Duffy’s intentions and deploro tho definite attempt to rako tho embers of civil war. “The fundamental point of our programme is to unite the people and obliterate the memories of past dissensions. General o’Duffy’s tactics havo stopped, out progress. Though I say ‘o’Duffy,’ I believe he is only the catspaw. If General O’Duffy wants to know tho Irish opinion of dictators ho had better read history. We could ordinarily afford to laugh at such antics, but when he tries to organiso cx-soldiors and adopt the symbols associated with dictatorships aboard, it is time to cry a halt. “Either we must accept democratic rule or force. Because wo see in the Blue Shirts the beginning of force, wc shall never permit such a body to organiso and become tho menace I believe it could be. General O’Duffy declares tho organisation necessary to combat Communism, but that is fast disappearing in consequence of our policy.” Mr. do Valera emphasised that there was no necessity for an early election. Ho was satisfied with the solidarity of the Government. “Wo arc winning all along the line,” he added. General O’Duffy, interviewed, said: “If in defiance of the National Guard’s legal and constitutional character the Government declares it unlawful, it will be guilty of a positive act of tyranny, and its declaration will lio devoid of moral force. Consequently, tho Guard will neither dissolve nor allow itself to be driven underground.” Mr. Prank Aiken, Minister of Defence, speaking at Tullamore, said: “The Government has forces to control any disorderly force arising in Ireland;”

Mr. Patrick Ruttledgc, Minister of Justice, addressing a polico festival at Phoenix Park, said: “We only ask the polico to serve a Government elected hy the people. We don’t want to establish either the polico or tho army as a partisan force. I don’t refer to anything like an attempted coup d’etat or fools who think they can copy the methods of other countries and use them in Ireland.”