IRISH AFFAIRS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3414, 20 August 1919, Page 20

IRISH AFFAIRS.

THE SINN FEIN ACTIVITY. THE GOVERNMENT TAKE A STAND. (By Cable.) LONDON, August 12. A dozen Sinn Feiners drove up in motor cars to Drumley Castle, County Armagh, and made a determined effort to seize the Ulster Volunteers' arms, which they believed to be hidden in the castle. Mrs Cope and her sister were awakened from their sleep, but got a revolver and a gun and fired, wounding one of the raiders. The women were finally overpowered and bound hand and foot. The house was then searched, but no arms were found. It is believed that they had been removed a month ago. August 13. The military suppressed a Sinn Fein newspaper at Kilkenny and confiscated the plant owing to defiance of the censorship. August 14. An official memorandum enumerates many instances of outrages connected with the recent and alarming recrudescence of Sinn Fein crime in County Clare. The Government has decided to suppress Sinn Fein and kindred organisations in the country. The Government suppression of Sinn Fein follows upon a Roman Catholic bishop's and also the Dublin Corporation's denunciation of the campaign of terrorism as murder. The Government enumerates outrages, beginning in 1917, and lapsing for a considerable period owing to the wider and sterner military rule of 1918, but vnulently reviving in 1919. . Armed bands have since attacked the police on nine occasions, and many other crimes have been committed. An official memorandum reviews the recrudescence of crime in County Clare since January. It describes a determined attack on July 20 on a police hut at Inch. Three windows of the hut were riddled with bullets. Four constables within returned the fire, and beat off the assailants. A similar attack was made on a hut at Connolly, the conflict lasting an hour. Armed men attacked the Broadford barracks on August 3 and fired 200 shots, greatly damaging the building. One constable was wounded. Six or seven disguised men on August 5 entered the barracks at Newmarket-on-Fergus, bound the police with ropes, seized carbines, revolvers, and ammunition, and departed in three motor cars. A sergeant and a constable returning to Illanbawn on August 4 were held up by armed men, who lulled the constable outright, and the sergeant- died of wounds. There are riots and looting in Londonderry. Troops charged the mobs, and soldiers were stoned during the Sinn Fein demonstration. Two hundred ponce and military raided the mansion at Glandore, County Cork, and arrested four Sinn Feiners and seized a quantity of ammunition, Sinn Fein volunteers' equipment, and hauled down the Sinn Fein flag and hoisted the Union Jack. Thirty armed men on August 8 attacked a hut at Morgnoe. v The attacks are in furtherance of the avowed Sinn Fein policy to overthrow the Constitutional Government of Ireland. The Government has decided to suppress Sinn Fein and kindred bodies in the country as unlawful associations. August 15. The authorities anticipating grave disorders in Londonderry, the military proclaimed the Nationalist and _ Sinn Fein Lady Day demonstration, which was- to include a procession round the walls of the town. Troops, for the first time since the siege of Derry, occupied these Avails. Orangemen and other Unionists had expressed their determination to prevent anyone using the walls for an anti-British' parade. August 17. A force of troops at Londonderry kept the Orangemen and Sinn. Feiners apart on Friday night. There was much shouting and singing of party songs, also some revolver shots and stone-throwing. Finally the troops cleared the streets. The Sinn Feiners fleeing before them smashed windows and looted many shops. A mysterious night attack was made on an island at Queenstown on which a small force was guarding military stores. Men hiding on a peninsula commanding the island" 3 opened rifle fire. The garrison replied with machine guns. It is not known what casualties resulted, the authorities maintaining secrecy. Farm labourers in Meath, who are on strike, removed a rail from the railway track near Navan, derailing 30 wagons intended for the removal of stock from a farm.