IRELAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3596, 13 February 1923, Page 16

IRELAND.

DE VALERA’S DECLARATION. LONDON, February 4. *'Peace based on the so-called treaty is impossible. The Republicans will never consent to surrender the national independence and sovereignty to threats. They will light to the last against the recognition of a foreign authority, direct or indirect.” This is tile considered opinion of Mr die Valera, which was obtained by the Daily Mail correspondent after a journey k> Mr de Valera’s secret hiding place, the whereabouts of which he could not disclose if he would. All he knows is that it cannot be far from the heart of Dublin. The car journey took bareiv half an hour from the rendezvous in one of Dublin’s busiest streets. The appointment resulted in the arrival Of a car driven by a most charming young woman, who intimated that she wa* appointed to take the correspondent to meet "Mr Bourke.” The limousine twisted and turned in the side streets, traversed strange thoroughfares, crossed the water twice, and drew up in a street of old and substantial houses. The guide knociced with peculiar emphasis on a door. It was opened by a woman in evening dress, who led the visitor through a handsome ball, up a softly-carpeted stairs to the drawing room, There he found Mr de Valera. Mr de Valera said : “The Irish Government must be determined by the people and not directed from outside. We are in arms now resisting exactly what the nation resisted from 1919 to 1921. The. only difference .is that England was then maintaining her claims directly. Now she is maintaining them through Irishmen. Hence the continuance of the former fight against foreign aggression. Mr Lloyd George and his colleagues bullied the delegates into signing the treaty. Remove outside threats of coercion and we could have peace within a day, but if England continues to refuse she cannot rid herself of the responsibility. Mr Lloyd George plaved the part of a tyrant. If the Free State ever functions it will be over the bodies of the Republicans. England will have cause to regret the mistake. ’> The new Ireland will remember her wrongs in the hour of England’s difficulty. ' A brother who killed a brother sooner than have a sister surrender will remember who caused him to brand himself with: the mark of Cain.” Mr'de Valera declared that, had he been in the position of the Free Staters, he would have drawn the line .at war in order to compel acquiescence, and he would not have put to death men like Brugha, Boland. Childers, Mellowes, and O’Connor. He would have told England that he had; i make a mistake, and would not do what he had thought could, be done. The Republican Government was functioning, and it was collecting revenue and organising an army, but the'Free State was gloomed. It was alive only in, the cities and. towns. Replying to a. question as to what would happen :if the Republicans triumphed. Air de Valera stated that he boned the Government of the Republic would be wise enough not to be tempted into the path which the Free Staters had followed. A CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY. LONDON. February 4. Replying to the de Valera interview, Mr K. Higgins (Minister of' Home Affairs) Say 6: ‘‘We have reached a stage when the grimmest decisions will have to be taken if organised sabotage continues. De Valera, like his compatriot, Don Quixote, is tilting at windmills, and people are acting with him in a criminal conspiracy against the -life of the Irish nation', and they cannot complain if the latter in self defence deals with them summarily and ruthlessly.’’ COMPLETE CHANGE OF FRONT, LONDON, February 5, Mr K, O’Higgins (Free State Home Minister), in the course of an interview, threw a new light on Mr de Valera’s part in the Anglo-Irish peace negotiations. Mr O’Higgins said that Mr de Valera had approved arid strenuously pressed for a compromise, including the oath to the King. Mr Collins for several days refused to go to London as a peace plenipotentiary, but eventually he yielded to Mr de Valera’s persuasion at a secret session of the Dail, »t which Mr de Valera emphasised the terrible effect of refusing to compromise, ■nd implored Mr Collins to accept the infinitesimal difference between the treaty and Mr de Valera’s proposed treaty. Ireland had since been plunged into the rors of civil war, and Mr Collins had been mmdered. REBEL ACTIVITIES. LONDON, February 4. Armed men on Saturday night visited Colonel Charles Guinness’s beautiful historic 'mansion, “Clermont Park.” They allowed the household 15 minutes to collect a few small valuables, and they placed the colonel and his wife and servants under an armed guard. They sprinkled the house with petrol from the basement the roof, and set it on fire. The damage is. assessed at £IO,OOO. The colonel is the head of the Guinness family in Ireland, and is a prominent Unionist. The Times Dublin correspondent states that armed men shortly after dark raided a restaurant in Henry street, the property of Senator Wysepower, ordered out the customers, sprinkled petrol on the premises, and set them on fire and •scaped. The firo. >ias extinguished. Military activity is increasing. Thirty Important arrests have been made and large quantities of. material and documents discovered.

Two cross-Channel cables have been cut. The summer residence of Senator O’Sullivan at Killarney was burned down. A number of postmen were held up and robbed of letters. A train was set on fire and wrecked at Killala, • County Mayo, where the railway station was destroyed. A SENATOR RESIGNS. LONDON, February 5. Dublin reports state that Senator Sigerson has resigned owing to intimidation. Dr George Sigerson is 85 years of age. He resigned in consequence of a rebel threat that his home would be burned if he continued to act as a senator. Dr Sigerson says that while the threats were confined to shooting, he did not care, but now they involved the destruction of his home he must consider his children’s interests. THREE WOMEN ARRESTED. LONDON. February 6. A Dublin message says that three women in possession of arriis and ammunition have been arrested, and will be court-martialled. RED FLAG RAISED. LONDON, February ( Strikers at the Cork mills seized two mills, over which they raised the Red Flag. They propose to resume work im mediately, and state that they will sell bread at cost price and guarantee payment for the raw material used during the occupation of the mills; also the cost of light and coal and for the use of the machinery. They say that they feel morally justified in taking this action. GENERAL DALY STANDS FIRM. LONDON, I ebruary 6. General Daly, in replying to a request from the Tralee District Council for a truce and the commutation of the death sentence on five Kerry mien, said: 'lt would be unjust to the heroic railwaymen who gave their lives in order to carry food to Tralee if I asked the Government to stay its hand. The executions will stop when train-wrecking, - murder, arson, and robbery cease. If the people at a free election were to vote in favour of a truce with murderers and train-wreckers I should cease to serve the people of Ireland.” CAMPAIGN OF INCENDIARISM. LONDON, February 6. In County Wicklow the residence of Colonel Eustace Maude, who is in Ceylon, was burned down by armed men. Airs Maude and the looked on, covered by the rifles of the raiders. Ballygassan House, the residence of Mr F. Russell, sub-sheriff of County Louth, was burnt down by armed men, who described the action as a reprisal lor executions by the Government, of which Air Russell is an official. The rebels, after turning out the occupants of Nenagh Workhouse, sprinkled petrol about the premises, which were then burned down. Incendiaries in Dublin J burned down Pathe freres kinema offices in Abbey presumably in consequence of the exhibition of afflm of the Irish Air Force. Four armed men sprinkled the premises with petrol. A number of girls, screaming, ran downstairs, some being burned before they, could reach the street. Tfle whole building was soon a rOaring furnace. An explosion, evidently of a bomb, occurred as the employees reached die street, injuring five’ of them, and also two passers-by. i, , . In the explosion at the Bathes film premises in Dublin 1,000,000 feet of film, estimated to he worth £23,000, was destroyed. The whole damage is estimated at £40,oofl: Fifty armed men attacked with machine guns the village of Ballyconnell, having a population of 600 inhabitants, and looted and practically blew it to pieces. Three civilians were killed. Two banks were plundered: Ihe attack was a reprisal for the shooting of a rebel in the village a . fortnight ago. A WOMAN’S RESOURCE. LONDON, February 7. Irregulars near Dungarvan (Waterford) ran an empty train at full speed towards a ravine where the bridge had been destroyed. The train fell 120 ft and was destroyed. The rebels visited the residence of Air Thomas M‘Gabon, editor of the Dundalk Democrat, in Air APGahon’s absence. Levelling revolvers at the women and children inside, they announced that they were going to burn the house. Airs APGahon, a venerable old lady, confronted the rebels, thus enabling Aliss APGahon to get to an upstairs window and attract the neighbours, whereupon a sentry who had been left in the garden called out to the raiders who decamped. HISTORIC RESIDENCE BURNED. LONDON, February 7. Armed raiders burned to the ground Lord Carew’s historic residence in Enniscorthv- The damage is' estimated at £loj,’ooo. REBELS LAl r DOWN THEIR ARAIS. LONDON, February 7. It is reported that a number of Irregulars in Westmeath decided to surrender their arms and to sign a declaration to discontinue hostilities against the Free State Government. AMMUNITION CONFISCATED. LONDON, February 7. Armed men raided the American steamer Scandabaga in Alexandra basin, Dublin, held up the crew, disarmed the captain, arid seized the ammunition. The

American Consul has informed his Government. REBEL OUTRAGiE FRUSTRATED. LONDON, February 7. The Daily Alail’s Dublin correspondent states that an attempt to blow up and capture Dublin Castle was frustrated. From the apparently innocent premises of St, Monica’s Babies’ Home in Wor burgh street, a tunnel was discovered leading to the upper Castle yard. If completed it would have enabled the rebels to take the garrison in the rear. The caretaker of the home, Airs Af’Kav, was arrested, and a large quantity of aiinmnu tion and land mines was discovered. A young woman arrived during the search. Her: bag contained parts of a machine, gun. FREE STATERS EXCHANGE SHOTS. LONDON, February 7. A Free State patrol joined in a dance in Kilmakowen, County Sligo. Other Free Staters who were passing were fired oil, and, thinking that the shots came from the ballroom, they machine-gunned the building. The Free Staters in the building replied, and a long exchange o f shots ensued. One hundred bullets crashed into the hall. The dancers lay on the floor, the women screaming. Th.ee were wounded before the misunderstanding was discovered. APPEAL BY LIAM DEASY. LONDON, February 9. The execution of all death sentences has been suspended in Ireland pending the result of an appeal by Liam Deasy (who is supposed to share with Liam Lynch the supreme direction of the Irregulars) to the rebel chiefs to surrender immediately. Deasy is under sentence of death. In view of Liam Deasy s appeal - r Mulcahy has issued a proclamation offering a new amnesty to all persons armed against the Government who surrender with their arms on or before February 10. Numerous rebels in Cork have aleady sur rendered with their arms. Six hundred rebel prisoners in Limerick have oetitioned to be allowed to send four of their number to the rebel leaders with a similar appeal to Liam Deasy 7 s. February 9. Liam Deasy 7 , Chief of Staff of the Rebel army, was arrested on January 18. ll e was living under an assumed name when he was identified. He was sentenced to death, and this was confirmed. Deasy then requested an interview with the Commander-in-Chief, saying that it would he for the good of Ireland. Deasy was taken to Dublin, and allowed to send a communication to, his rebel associates, including Mr de Valera, to the effect that

Deasy had undertaken to aid the immediate unconditional surrender of arms and men as required by General Mulcahy. Deasy’s communication asked Air de Valera and other rebel leaders to give similar undertakings. Aleanwhile, Deasy's execution was suspended, as well as the execution of the other rebels. A request was received on February 7 for a further suspension of the executions. In response to this, General Mulcahy granted a suspension of 48 hours. Armed men burned an automobile belonging to General Alulcahy. They also destroyed the Athlone -waterworks. STATEMENT BY AIR MULCAHY. LONDON, February 10. Speaking in the Dail Eireann, Air Mulcahy said that if the rebels came like men and admitted they had taken the wrong road and laid down arms, it would restore them to the affection of the people. It would be such an unexpected relief that the scores of last eight months could be closed in a month. MR DE VALERA’S TERMS. LONDON, February 10. The Sunday Express says it is understood that Air de Valera intends accepting the terms suggested by Liam Deasy conditionally on a General Election being held on the one clear issue whether Ireland shall be a Free State or a Republic. BRITAIN AND FREE STATE. LONDON, February 9. Air Cosgrave and Air Hogan are consulting the British Government over the Anglo-Free State financial relations. CAAIPAIGN IN ULSTER PLANNED. LONDON, February 9. The Northern Government has received information that the Republicans are preparing a great incendiary campaign in Belfast and the six counties. A number of prominent irregulars have arrived in Ulster. The police captured some incendiary material. REPUBLICAN ARMY. LONDON, February 10. Air O’Higgins has issued a statement emphasising the fact that Air de Valera definitely abandoned the republic when he drafted Document No. 2 with its oath and a yearly money tribute to the British King as an ideal settlement Consequently Mr de Valera had no right to use the republic as an excuse for plundering the Irish, people and burning their homes. Mr de- Valera, having sold the republic, was now willing to wade through blood, arguing about the price. Rather than allow the nation's peace to be shattered and the British to return with a title

they had never possessed before the Free State would use force to the utmost A Republican communique says that the army is stronger than ever, despite the efforts of the Free Staters to undermine its' discipline. The war will continue until Ireland’s independence is recognised by her enemies, foreign and domestic. The Republicans blew up the press which printed the Free State’s offer of an amnesty.