THE INSURRECTION IN "OULD OIRELAND":

NZ Truth, Issue 568, 6 May 1916, Page 5

THE INSURRECTION IN "OULD OIRELAND":

SINN FEIN AND SINN FEINISM: History and Objects of the Movement and its Leaders

When Sir Edward Carson arid his hardy Ulstcrmen started trifling with tne : introduction of arms and ammunition into Ireland, via i Lame, 'Pbrlrush, TkibvWe, Derry and elsewhere, he and they little thought that' they . wer<s openly showing, others the way to defy the law. Long before Sir Roger Casement, the pampered Government official, espoused the cause of ■ the Sinn Felners and the working-men's, unions of Dublin, gun-running In Ulster , was taking place under the very noses of the police and military, to the loud applause of the Tory press, glowing cables from which reached us at times here. Save the Liberals and Nationalists, no other parties m Britain had a hard word against/Carson.; The Tories applauded his acts of overt rebellion because, forsooth, it was for the glorious cause of the Union, and many British generals and officers^ including Gen-, eral French, threatened to resign if the army, was turned ori the Ulstermen. What could poor Augustine Birrell and John Redmond do? TJbey could, do no-thing--for the British Army and the. whole might of British' Toryism were against them. If, ' however/ they could do nothing to save their^Home Bute cause, they could 'afford to wink one eye at Carson's bold ! doings, and the other eye at the gun-running of the Nationalists, which was actually .encouraged to' offset the endeavors' of ;,the Ulster faction." THoWever, Mjuite another body adroitly and secretly set to Work to avail itself ofj the great opportunity opened up by Carson, and tolerated by the ' Government. ■■.■■'. > THE LEADERS. .; '[' ' Arthur • Griffith, y Erin MacNefl. Sbeehy Skeffington and the other big and mfluential **guns ># i of the Sinn Fein (Shin Fain-^- M Ourselvea Alone"), together with Jim Larkin, James CbnnoUy and tSe v Olh« DTlblin I^abor leaders, | quickly set to work, und, m six months, 20,000 working-men"; m Dublin were fully armed, wasbntred, and uniformed. The number is absolutely correct Thus quietly arid speedily came into being the wea-^teanised semi-military groups of the Sinn Feiners ; , and the Citizens' Army-^-the two organisations that have been 'fighting street by 5 street arid m Communist barricade fashion In Dublin .during the past ;weelc^ While the "Olstanrieri and Nationalists were merely playing with rebellion is*n ejvdeavor to bluff, "one , another ana "the powers that he," the rear formidable factions of the separatist and socialistic orders h^d secured m six months a splendid foundation on which to bcHd. This occurred, about 18 months before the World War opened on the Mania and .the Danube. The organ of the | separatists was a JbuEnal r\<*mif\: after j the society, "Sinn Fein," the editor of which was Arthur Grifflth, the "lrish Worter" being tho •workers' i land ctti- ,■ seas* army magazine. Other: Journals eventually appeared (when, these %wo were suppressed m 1S15) designed to reach the young men of the provinces*. Htairy of whom had been ; , S3ICN" TPKinsimttft 308 TEARS, la this -way and by eocret propaganda. Cock, Xdmerick, Wexford, and nearly every' town In Oonnacht /especially, were Enticed into the- Sinn Fein mover iremt, Hie ffft™ Feija. journal had-pre-•vtoaaly been known «a the **antted Irishman.'' Th^Oathbllc-cletey opposed the &mn/ JEtetn . inovemcart ' from Its lsd» years fcecame-Wive members. In Dublin the clergy did not oppose tbe< goctery:-<Hrtt».actt?l£Jeia, tof^tyfipg the.' last twenty years, v yountr IDnMlnltesh*v»Jearaed the lessons oThlstory, and betteretm. feartesaly acquired thwtlght to thmk for themselves. ; Griffith and others contributed to such -progress by tbeir oeaadess writings-end speeches. The workers of ■ Dublin never had any fw^uifjufftJA" worthy of the -name w'ftH*. Che Irish Transport! Workers' Union was established by Jim Larkin, arid only after many bloody fights' -with the Dublin Metropolitan Police. Between this police f once (whjph Is quite distinct from the J&J.a>and-the--workers-of Dab Unan a fearful hatred developed, beteg^ doe to the borrfblo brutality wfctdHbe poUee-tfalhited at «yery opportunity. From the Dublin sections of the Transport TZmon and kindred: Industrial bodteaH^ BEARING ALLEqiANCB TO the Citizens' Army evolved m the opening; months of 1914. previous to Carson's triflinK with sensational grinnmnmff exploits, the workers of Dublin never dreamed of arming themselves. But when they observed that Sir Ettward could, with complete immunity, arm his followers, Including the shrp workers of Bettast, who openly marched 'with fixed bayoueta on one memorable occasion to the Ulster HaU to sign "the Covenant" the workers of DobUn, without muoh notse, armed themselves too. and became a vtarytmintaable force, 81NN FEIN AND HOME RULE. The Sinn Fein Society was founded by Arthur Grifflth, of the "United Irishman," nearly 15 years ago, and was originally a peaceful organisation, tor the intellectual and Industrial freedom of all Irishmen without distinction of class or oroed. It Is quite distinct from the Gaelic League, though m the language movement both societies work hond-ln-hand. Many Gaelic Leaguers were Sinn Feiners. The latter body repudiated all parliamentary effort, and intimated that by Ignoring Westminster completely, and concentrating all their efforts for Ireland and In Ireland alone, they could construct a oolf-reliant Irish . { nation that . .would be as formidable to Britain as If they were on armed people. But the Home Rule question developed rapidly und MKcessfully so far as Mr. Redmond was concerned, and at Home and abroad it attracted attention. The young; educated men of Ireland, and tho growing groups of organised labor developed their kindred movements without any opposition, owing mainly to the threatened religious war between tho Nationalists and Orangemen over Home Rule— -a measure of self-govern-ment that Young Ireland and tho viutt army of workers did not give twoponco about. Homo Rule would placo Redmond and his party ("the four-hundred pounders," as they wcro termed, Crom. the, amount of their parliamentary salary), tho United IrUib League and tho HiborniaQß which has been described as A CLOSE-FISTED SECRET CATHOLIC SOCIETY on top. And If It really camo to a choice Young Ireland and tho workers would rather nceopt Carson, as he has moro bralna, and any amount of grit. Hence It is vory truo Indeed that tho present conflagration was directed as much against Redmond as against tho Government. It must be remembered tt&t n« Carson Is tho spoiled child of tho Protestant Alliance, tho parsons, and tho Omngo Order, no Is Redmond the whUo-halrcd boy of tho priests, the brewers, tho publican*?, and the ritntvo capltftUuUc class. With such an mnucntlal and moneyed eluan bflhhid htm, pluu the Ancient Order of Hlbi>rnlarui, Hedmond and Mb party scored every tlrh> at the election*. The Stun Felners dirt not trouble thomaolvcM very much about election*. They pcruiatenUy planned und developed, and were not ; thought of until tho*World War opened Up a new phase m ihelr hUtory. It I* wett to bear m mind that John Iled«—»A oio^n Urn candidate for tho poo-

pie and the latter must elect him. An Irish" National constituency never selects its own candidate for Parliament: the candidate is, selected on the Convention principle created. by Mr. Redmond. As this method of hoisting any bankrupt or other stranger oh to a constituency ■; (as. ? happened *m Louth the other day) is ONE OF THE MANY REASONS for the Sinn Fein revolt, the Convention methods 'arid Mr. Redmond will be dealt With m a special article later on. Sir Edward Carson's example, and Mr. John Redmond's methods, m a great , measure occasioned the latest of Irish insurrections. Of course there cannot be the least doubt that if Home Rule had been applied wtien his MSJSsty signed it t&o years ago, and Mr. Redmond had been given plenary powers m

Ireland, the present outbreak never would have occurred. Weak as Is the Home Hale measure, the majority* of the Irish nation would have given it a «fair trial. But the Irish people had re-; lied upon a King's signature before, and the Limerick treaty stone tells the Story. The ßritish Government played with Carson and Redmond* and wlnkod at the grin-running exploits of both, forgetting: all the time, that the thinkers and Workers of Ireland saw through the little game. No Government can long afford to trifle with a nation—especially a fighting nation; -/Having trifled with the two rival political leaders of Ireland, what did the Government do an the eve of the Great War? It finally rushed the Home Rule Bill through, and his Majesty: signed it — promising certain amendments when the war was over. 'Carson reluctantly spiked his gun, ' John Redmond was won, lrat-the~news spread through Ireland among the Stan Feinerß and the workers, that the British Parliament .and Lords passed the Bin : - ■ -■:■' ]r ■ ■'■ V. tn '■*• xvaxKr . ■ Two years later the same Parliament and Lords were "m a funltf* again — "It would be. unwise to enforce conscription m Ireland." Those "blue funks" were not lost upon the Sinn Fein So--dety. ■ THE 1914 RIOT. On: the eve of the Great War what happened on the quays of Dublin ? Nationalists, Sum Feiners and Transport Workers' were then comprised m what was known as the Irish Voranteers. "For the sacred cause of Home Rule a foreign vessel had run the gauntlet at Howth, and landed a considerable 'quantity of arms. The volunteers seiz--ed the arms, and marched boldly In broad daylight back into Dublin. CarBon ami the Orangemon bad done the same at Lame, and no one objected. : But the Dublin Volunteers would not escape: the A«riMt*mt Commissioner of the Dublin Police, Sir Edward Carson's { bosom friend, without any instructions from Dublin Castle, called out the police and the xmHtary, and on the quays the King's Own Scottish Borderers MET TH'B ARMED CITIZENS returning to the city. Bear m mind that what occurred here Is one of the causes, perhaps the real one, of the SinnJPedn revolt The police and military tackled the mob, and attempted to seize the arms; they succeeded only In securing a few, for the mob was too strong. The attempted seizure of the arms developed Into a riot, and police and soldiers* were "bottled" and stoned. Though U»e Yotanteere were armed they TM»yftflT' fired nor used thfilr arms In any way. Under an officer's directions, according to the subsequent Inquests, the K.OJ3J3. turned suddenly round and fired pomt-bfamk several rounds of ammunition into tho crowd. There were dead and dying m all directions, and the soldiers hurriedly sought the barracks. Here is the evidence of an eyo-witness on printed m a Unionist paper: . A young man named Edward Reilly, who lives at Iveagh House, 'Bride-road, Dublin, stated that he was m Bachelor's Walk on Sunday evening when the King's Own Scottish Borderers flr«d on the crowd. Ho bad himself served tn the Irtoh Fusiliers. He." sold ho saw a man firing a bottle from Ltffey-strcet at the soldiers. "They had the riDes to their shoulders for about two minutes," ho said, "before they fired. Tho officer was the first man to come- up to the aim, AND THE FIRST TO FIRE. I did not hoar any order directing tho soldiers to fire. I ran away towards O'Connoll Bridge when tbo soldiers fired, and three young men who were running before mo were ahot down nearly opposite Burgess Hill's. At tho corner of Llffoystreot, I saw tbo officer and two soldiers striking with rifle* a. man who had been shot and who was lying on tho ground. Tho soldiers fired altogether about CO rounds of ammunition. They flrod five or six shots across tho river after people who ran over too Metal Bridge to tho South side 1 of the quays: After the firing tho soldiers charged with fixed bayonets. I saw a soldier making a thrust at a man who was running away and mlß*lnir htm. His bayonot ponotrdtcd the woodwork of a shop. THE SOLDIERS FIRED LOW so as to bo sure of hitting the people, who were only about fifteen* yards away whou the firing began. Now, that waa a very nasty occurrence, and It might not tiavo lea to much clenplto Hh Kraviiy, had not (strange colnci<Jenc«) the Great xvav broken out m Europo a ft*w wockH Jatcr. Revcnß«' rankled In the bosomn of the Dublin citizens, nntl from thu muinont of tho d!mi«trous British rotrcai from Mon« and tho fall of Antwerp, many Young Irelandera oponly championed tho cauno of Gorjimny. On top of all a lJrlilnh "dlplornutic" oiUclul. who know tittlo of Ireland and her Ideal*, turnod traitor, and

are awful In the extreme: indeed they could not bo any worse under the £>uitan. When, therefore. Casement, aa Ulsterman, but a British official, apuoared on the w;ene m the guise of an Irish patriot (though he actually knows little of the Irish movement) and promised help from Germany if the Irish would "RISE UP AGAJNST THEIR TYRANTS.' " Is it any wonder at all, parUculiirly If one ia acquainted with Ireland's history that the Separatists and tho workers should havo joined hands to have a "flare-up" on their own behalf? Mo rebellion would havo been attempted had not help, m men, money and material, been assured from Germany; but it must bo remembered, that apart from Germany, tho powerful Clan-na-Goel of America is behind the , upboavaL People who havo not lived m America, and even those who have been tSSbui-toflwl to mix In the Irish societies, have not the least idea of the amazing power, m numbers and money, wielded by tho famous Clan-na-Gael. Tho German- American societies and tha cion-na-Gael have Joined hands Siring tbo war, so wo can feel assured that tho comblno is a very formidable on© Indeed. THE INSURRECTION. • go far as wo know In these out-of-th« way latitudes, the Irish outbreak commenced m Dublin last Sunday week —.nearly 1* dayß ago—though from tho American prow it J» «ratbei-ed that «o wirlv as March 20 several police patrolw nred on. Mr. Asquith haa said that the first Intimation tho Governrtwvnt had had of any troublo was the actual outbreak itself, which is a . RATHER EXTRAORDINARY AD- ■""^ MISSION, considering the amazingly bold hint* within the puat twolvo month« thrown out by t»e German-American prows. The fact 1» that Mr. KedmonU lulled tho ifood-naturcd Mr. Birrell to repo«s«>, and Mr Birrell lulled the Government. Mr. Redmond always treated tho «lmi Folncr» with contempt, and tbt>y returmnJ thfi cornpUmont. Mr. Hedmond did n<»t think that the Sinn Kftlnem would make Ji utantl-np Jlfc't't: ht? kuWI ho on otw occiuiUui. Now. as tho trouble \nm actually developed iwtous phonic, Measra. Redmond and Carson tir« inj.wtly piikoko'l embracing ono anothur m Westminster, while the Torlcsi «ru tthriokine aloud for popr AugunUnc UlrroU'» scalp- Mr. Mirr«U U to bo plUod

-called Upon. Young/ Ireland to appeal to Germany. Sir Roger Casement added the finishing touch to what British middling had helped to develop. The Clan-iia-Gael. with a powerful roll call and. banking account m America, had accepted Sir Roger, and empowered by them and the Sinn Fein Society, he -was despatched to Germany to plead for a GERMAN INVASION OF IRELAND. Naturally, Germany eagerly fell m with the idea, though it was difficult to accomplish, and this fact brought the German and Irish-American elements Into closer touch, thereby giving the •Teuton an enormous influence m the United States. For, next to the German infusion, the Irish sections m the States are the largest of the foreign elements. Thus we see how an indifferent Government can bring ruin on Itself. We have been glibly told that the majority of the Irish people m the States are indignant at this latest Irish revolt m Dublin. The two greatest Irish- American papers are the "Gaelic American", and the "Irish World," and anyone reading these will not fail to arrive at a different conclusion. The Irish elements m Australia and New Zealand are very loyaL REASONS FOR THE REVOLT. Judging by the articles and poems m the Sinn Fein journals. Irish Freedom," .'/Nationality,'' •'Hoiiesty,'' ., "The Volunteer," "The Irish Worker." and m some respects m "The Leader,** the reasons one must arrive at, for " the Irish Insurrection at all, are the following: 1. Mr. Redmond's "Convention" tactics m Imposing candidates on constituencies. 2. Mr. Redmond's extreme recruiting methods. : ■•■■■'■ 3. The drastic retrenchment schemes enforced by Sir Matthew Nathan, a London Jew and a Dublin Castle official. 4. Revenge for the doings of the Kingr's Own : Scottish Borderers on the quays. 5. The Unpaid, ill-housed workers' discontent, which has been i very great 6. Casement's position and influ- . ence. '■ ,\ .-.•.■■■";■,■ ■■■■ 7. German' lnfluences. '-' 8. The numerous imprisonments under the Defence of the Realm '•""Act.. ' : ■ •■; ■ .;- ■ ■' ■• ■ The last three "causes" (6, 7, 8) never of themselves could have precipitated a rebellion, if Mr. Redmond had been tactful, if the London Jew had stayed In London, and if the workers of Dublin had not been so police-ridden. The condition^ m regard' to pay, hours, and bonsing, under which the unfortunate workers of Dublin eke out an existence

for /he was a well -meaning,, affable, good-natured man: - HE LIKED IRELAND SINCERELY, and did his best m her behalf — the best a Castle official can do, which Is not very- much. j The cable messages inform us that ' the rebels m large numbers invaded the city from various sides, and seized the' post office, Stephen's Green, and the houses along the quays. It would take fully 15,000 to 20,000 men to do this. Five years ago, when they were not dreaming of a revolution, their i numbers consisted of 10,000!- Three years ago the -workers affiliated with Liberty Hail (Jim LarMn's headquarters) numbered 6000, and these are quite distinct from the Sinn Feiners. In this scribe's opinion the Dublin insurgents are no less than' 20,000 men, and General Maxwell has had "some" work to do. Fighting m a city is a poor game if the rest of the .country does not cooperatei f or the Government troops can easily cut off the water supply, and the end is not far distant. In Dublin, however, the rebels struck while the Government w&s wholly unprepared, and thereby managed to include a lot of influential citizens and officials within the rebel zone; they also seized valuable Government plant and coin m the post office ; the G.P.O. opposite the Nelson monument, and cut the communications. They Beized several railway stations and the quays; both these latter moves were distinct strategical ones. Had they been m sufficient numbers and properly, officered, ■ armed and equipped, the struggle m Dublin would have been a very formidable one indeed, and must have occasioned great loss of life and destruction of property. But with Insufficient, numbers and not properly officered, armed and equipped, it could not take long to suppress the Dublin portion of the outbreak. The question now arises, did the enemy manage to send any officers to head the Irish trouble? On the face of things it would seem from the fact that ;tho post office, two railway stations, and the quays, WERE SO PROMPTLY SEIZED by the rebels and held for a time with amazing tenacity that there were officers with a degree of military acumen directing operations. We have been told that Stephen's Green was taken and occupied by the rebels— not a hard Job. It is possible, however, that there may have been a mistake m the cable messages, as Stephen's Green would be a worthless acquisition to j them. It is merely a small park of no possible strategical value. Hence if the rebels seized this locality, there certainly was not any-

one with ordinary military knowledge at their head directing such a movement. There m another Green, however, which m writer's opinion was the ouo seized, and that is College Green, where Trinity College, the Bank of Ireland, and tho National Bank aro situated. This prominent corner of old Dublin controls tho main approach to Dublin Castta up DameBtreet. There waa a bit of a light for tho castle, which was not pressed. Tho Bank of Ireland is tho Government subsidised bank,. and is situated opposite Trinity College, In tho old Parliament House of Ireland, it is very possible then that College Green, tv» well ftfl Stephen's Ore«n, wu» ths principal locality. SEIZED BY: THE INSURGENTS. Until moro news trickles through, and

we get some idea as to the numbers of the rebel forces, their equipment and generalship, it will not be possible to give anything liko a fair estimate of the work cut out for General Maxwell. One thing Is certain, there would have, been no rising if Germany had not promised assistance, , not only m money, but m munitions and men. Since, then, the enemy has succeeded m bringing about some sort of, an armed conflict between the people and the forces faf the Crown, it remains to be seen what help Germany can really give now that the insurrection has occurred. Next week the writer will show that Germany actually has her eye on Ireland. He has something- fresh and interesting to disclose on the matter.