TROUBLE IN IRELAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22025, 7 August 1933, Page 7

TROUBLE IN IRELAND

DAIL BUILDINGS GUARDED AN ARMED CAMP (United Press Association.) (By Electric Teler"’ r >h—Copyright.) DUBLIN, August 5. (Received August C, at 5.5 p.m.) The Dail buildings have become an armed camp. The Government is not satisfied that the fire was accidental. Fifty civic guards are now quartered in the building with bedding and cooking apparatus. Everybody is challenged. A cablegram from London under date August 3 read as follows: While the guests, including two women members of the Dail, were singing the Free State National Anthem at Leinster House, Dublin, at a dinner given by the Fianna Fail party to Mr de Valera, dense clouds of smoke rolled into the room from the basement. Scenes of excitement followed, and there was a rumour that an attempt had been made to set fire to the Dail building, but it was found later to be due to a cigarette igniting waste. THE NATIONAL GUARD STATEMENT BY GENERAL O’DUFFY, LONDON, August 5. (Received August 6, at 5.5 p.m.) General O’Duffy told the National Guard at Clonmel that the new special police was tantamount to an Irish O.G.P.U. The Government, acting on false information, was making itself ridiculous in the eyes of the Irish at home and abroad. It was apparently preparing a campaign of suppression which became operative immediately the Dail adjourned. The National Guard was not subsidised by Britain —it was penniless —but was appealing to the country for funds. EMERGENCY PRECAUTIONS DUBLIN, August 5. (Received August 6, at 8 p.m.) Police headquarters this afternoon despatched instructions to outlying stations to have men available at the shortest notice. Guards from more than 30 stations have been ordered to report at the Government buildings. A later message states that 300 men have already been selected ns first members of the armed forces to guard the Government buildings. Most of them have been members of the Irish Republican Army. Traynor, an old Irish Republican Army officer, is forming the guard.

TENSION IN DUBLIN FEAR OF CIVIL WAR PARADE OF IRISH BLUE SHIRTS. LONDON, August 6. (Received August 6, at 11.20 p.m.) The tension which prevails in Dublin is so serious that it is feared in some quarters it will lead to civil war. Mr de Valera’s new armed police are already 300 strong, and it is believed there may be a violent clash with General O’Duffy’a National Guard, which is now described by the Republicans as Fascist Blue Shirts. Twenty thousand of these are expected to parade on August 13 commemorate the death of Collins, Griffiths and O’Higgins. The Republicans even suggest that General O’Duffy is planning a coup d’etat to seize the reins of Government. It is suggested that Mr de Valera may prohibit the parade. General O’Duffy describes the coup d’etat idea as fantastic and insists that his force is nonmilitary. Numerically they greatly outnumber the Republicans. It is alleged that the Blue Shirts have obtained 800 American rifles and 200,000 rounds _of ammunition and a number of machine guns. In the meantime armed members of the Republican Army are reported to be drilling nightly on the mountains outside the city. Hopes are also revived of a move to end the Anglo-Irish economic Avar. The de Valera Cabinet on Saturday had luncheon with the South African Minister of Finance, Mr N. C. Havenga, ■who is on a holiday tour in Ireland. Rumour persists that the subsequent discussions were in the nature of unofficial negotiations in the direction of a financial settlement.