A PROCLAMATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 115, 20 May 1918, Page 4

A PROCLAMATION

APPEAL TO LOYALISTS,

TO ASSIST IN DEFEATING CON ©PIRACY..

fE«o. .'May 20, 8.50 a.m.) .;■. ' LONDON, May 18.. An Irisli proclamation stotes:, "It has como to our knowledge tli^cevtaui subjecta in Ireland have entered auto treasonable communication with, the Germans. Such treachery menaces Ireland's fair fame and military- re-, cord, which is a source of intense pride to the country ..whose sons .haytt always distinguished themselves aiia fought with heroic- valor, as thousands' of them are now fighting in this waiv "Drastic measures must be taken, -to i put down thisf German plot. It is the duty of all loyal subjects to assist the Government to suppress this, treasonable conspiracy and defeat the German treacherous attempt to defame Irishmen's honour for German ends.' ' 'We call on all loyal subjects to assist in"crushing the .conspiracy and asI sist in securing the effective prosecution of the war and the welfare anu safety, of the, Empire. ri ,. 'i,v ', 'As a means thereto wo shall take further steps to encourage voluntary enlistment hope that Ireland # : contribution ■will correspond' to the contribution of other parts • of JJie i Empire without compulsion. ~|'. GOVERNMENT'S FIRMNESS. ■,. ■ ■ ■■'■;" : - v, _ _—L.-.- i.- ■..-. :.•-.' r '■' r CAUSES A SENSATION. '•■ ARRESTS SMARTLY EFFECTED.

(Rec. May 20, il^aiin.) ,-'' • - - , '.-"' LONDON* May 19,.—'The -Government's sudden display of firmness caused a sensation in Ireland, where loyalists had been alarmed by Sinn Fein raids on houses for arms and seizure of farms without molestation. Sinn Feiners have long boasted that. th«. Government.-,:■ /was afraid to'., interfere with.them.- .<•«■; ■■ . ■■■'•: . . \ v ;,v- ;• The story of the arrests shows ••>, that the arrangements were skilfully planned and" were carried out like clockwork. . _ A proclamation was issued at night qn Friday, and the arreste began immediately. Most were effected bofore dawn., .'■_. . ..'*_ ~ ._, / Arrests were made m Dublin, : , .Belfast, Kilkenny, Drogheda, .Dundalk, and many other places. Oyer a hundred have been arrested Up to the present,, most of whom were arrested during*, the Easter rebellion in 1916. ■' ■■='•■.■'•"•-•'•' Military motor lorries conveyed tnoso arrested " to Kingston, Where they were embarked on a Government transport which remains in harbour. ■' ■ . t> . The Sinu Feiners' Standing, Committee met in Dublin on Friday night. Most of the members subsequently were arrested. The police raided »"the organisation's headquarters in Dublin and> seized books and documents. When they o>parted the remaining Sinn Feiners?hum; out a placard inscribed "Business «e Usual." , , , • i De Valera was arrested at Jus homo at Greystones, and Countess Marcklcvitz at Rathminea at one o'clock in the morning. ;„,•.♦•' ' Theonlv resistance was at, Slubberm, whore Ted O'Driscoll aiid.Jiye -others in his house fought: the . police. ODiist coll received a, revolver bullet wound in the arm. . -„' '. T . , Patrick Hogan, • head of the limit Volunteers.-in Oashel, evaded arrest by escaping through a window and running across' adjpining Cqnvent grounds to open country. '•' ' ' ' ' '.' ', i-1 j » The Cork correspondent of Lloyda News says it is stated: there that, prominent Sinn Feinors had . declared % ' the Republicans had a good treatv-with Germany, but the general public did not believe the statement. . . , ... Latest reports show that there is no excitement', either -in ' the , North or South. ' -■ Those arrested include Peter Hughes, chairman of the Dundaik Urban Council ; George Nicols, coroner; for Galway; George Geraghty, chairman of the Roscommon Town Commissioners; members of the Sinn Fein executive; and a number of captains of Irish Volunteers in provincial centres.

SPEECH BY GENERAL SMUTS, COMMON OBLIGATIONS TO A ■COMMON EMPIRE. (Reo May 20, 9.50 a,nv.) LONDON, May 18. IGenoral ©mute (a member of the AVar 'Cabinet), at Glasgow, in thanking the University for conferring on him tho degree of Doctor of Laws, said, referring to Ireland, it would not be- right. thut be an exception to the common obligation of the common cPutie? of a common Elmpire. It was the Emigre's aim to solve the long and dreary Irish problem, and it should prove as soluble as the "bigger problem of South Africa. We find some ; talking hysterically of a republic, some appealing to -"the enemy, and others talking.of having wrongs righted at the Peace Conference. Ireland need not go to Peace Conference .to get her wrongs righted. Ho advised "her to apply to tho Empiro'3 highest court of appeal, namely the Imperial Conference. " •

VISCOUNTOY' IFOR LORD " WIMBORNE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association 1 and Reuter.; LONDON, May 18. The' Press Bureau reports that * vi*- " countcy has been .conferred upon -Lord, Wimiborn'a- (late ■ Lord-Lioulenant' of | Ireland.)