THE IRISH PROBLEM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17321, 22 May 1918, Page 4

THE IRISH PROBLEM

ARRESTS STILL BEING MADE. ATTITUDE OF THE CHURCH. AN AWKWARD DILEMMA. % Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association. LONDON, May 20. The arrests number over 173 Sinn Feincrs, who sailed from Kingstown to Holyhead on Saturday. A huge crowd at Kingstown cheered the prisoners, the crowd shouting Up with tho rebels!" and "Smash the Nationalists (?) and police!" The latter dispersed the crowd when commencing to sing ''The Soldiers' Song." Arrests continue in AtWone, Gahvay, Cavan, Casliel, Sligo, Dundalk, Kilkenny, C'onmel, Roscommon, and Cork, but principally in Dublin. Four Sinn Fein M.P.'s thus far have been arrested, apart from Ginnell, who is serving six. months in Mountjoy Prison. Practically the whole governing body of the Sinn Fein movement is in custody. The general belief is that the Roman Catho.Lc clergy will now abandon its original attitude of stern resistance. A well-known Dublin priest said on Sunday: If it is true that a German plot existed in Ireland, the great majority of Nationalists would withdraw their sympathy from the Sinn Fein 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 may decide to bring back his followers to Westminster and interrogate the Government regarding the German plot, especially as Lord French's proclamation virtually admits that tho conscription policy has failed. THE GERMAN PLOT. TO SYNCHRONISE WITH OFFENSIVE. LONDON, May 20. The Daily MaO understands tiiat the Government has conclusive evidence concerning the Irish conspiracy that the Germans clearly hoped that a great insurrection in Ireland would synchronise with the supreme moment in the gigantic German, western offensive. JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME. GOVERNMENTS KNOWLEDGE OF CONSPIRACY. ' OBTAINED THROUGH FRIENDLY POWER, A SECRET WELL KEPT. _ LONDON, May 20. The Daily Chronicle's Dublin correspondent saye: The secret had been well kept, and the arrests came as a surprise to the affected persons, also to everyone outside of Dublin Castle. The printer of the Government's proclamation was entrusted only with the headings and formal parte, and afterwards typewritten copies of the effective parts were pasted in hl.-i.nl-spaces.

Dublin residents' first intimation of anything unusual was the continuous barking of dogs for several hours after midnight while the motor lorries with the prisoners were driving through the streets to Kingstown. Early risers found a large number of soldiers guarding Kingstown jetty, and learned that the Sinn Feiners were aboard a warship. The arrests have nothing to do with the anti-conscription campaign, or with Sinn Fein as an organisation, or with seditions speeches. Some of the prisoners are not Sinn Feiners. _ Every arrest was solely based on suspicions of treacherous communication with the enemy. Jt is rumoured that incriminating documents were found on a man captured in a boat, also on another captured off Kerry. The Chronicle's correspondent says: "I believe something more definite fonnd its way to the British Government from a friendly country, which has exposed earlier plots against the Allies, always just in the niclc of time. I firmly believe that the prisoners will not be court-martialled or brought to public trial. The Government will scrupulously abstain from giving any excuse for disorders among the Irish public.

" The Irish newspapers unitedly deny any pro-Germanism in Ireland; therefore the Government must recognise the necessity of justifying the arrests by the production cf satisfactory evidence. 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, and the Government must lose no time in proving to Ireland and the whole -world that the plot is genuine. It is unfortunate that the belated and grudging withdrawal of conscription which the Government's proclamation announces is annulled for the moment bv the sensational arrests and the discovery of the plot." SIMM FEEDERS' PREPARATIONS. DOCUMENTS DESTROYED OR REMOVED. LONDON, May 20. Tho Daily Mail's Dublin correspondent says: It is believed that the Sinn Feincrs have prepared for a decentralised control of organisation in the event of the central committee being, put out of action. The most important documents were cither destroyed or removed. A conscription fund, totalling £200.000, remains in tho hands of the local trustees. EVIDENCE OF THE CONSPIRACY". SAID TO BE INCONTROVERTIBLE. Tho Times. LONDON, May 20. For months the knowledge that" a new conspiracy was maturing weighed on Ireland like a nightmare. The tangible evidences thereof were numerous, including the looting of arms and explosives and tho boasting _of orators. All Irish loyalists are convinced that Germany is at the bot torn of the trouble. She balieved that another rebellion was possible should tho Allies meet with serious reverses in France. Tlio authenticity of the evidence is unquestioned. The Times Bays editorially: " It is most necessary to publish tho evidence immediately. and so dispel the cloud of sensational rumours afloat." SINN FEINERS' PROTESTS. NO PLOT EXISTS, THEY SAY. Reutor's Telegrams. LONDON, May 20. The Sinn Feitiers protest against tho allegations that a German plot exists. The Hrs-t result of the arrests is the collapse of tho election campaign in East Cavan, Y'here all the Sinn Feiners engaged in tho election have been arrested. There probably will be no contest, but Griffiths, the Sinn Feiner, who was arrested, will bo elected unopposed. Public opinion in Belfast is not impressed by the number of arrests, as it is recalled that some of the arrested were sentenced to death in 1916, while others escapcd long terms of imprisonment bv hunger striking. Orange opinion hopes that if the accused are proved guilty of having dealings with tho enemy they will bo vigorously dealt with. COUNTRY STILL OUTWARDLYCALM. FURTHER ARRESTS MADE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association . , LONDON, May 20. (Received May 21. a t 8 p.m.) "Ireland is stil outwardly calm this morning. Arrests continue to" bo made nuintlv throughout the country. The latest arrests include Maud Gone, widow of Major M'Brido, who was executed in 1916.