DE VALERA DEFIED.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12428, 22 August 1933, Page 5

DE VALERA DEFIED.

NATIONAL GUARD PARADES. OFFICIAL BAN FLOUTED. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright DUBLIN, August 20. Despite the Government’s threat the National Guard (Blue Shirts) paraded throughout the country, but declined to disclose details of the various assemblies. Dublin was uneasy all day long. Everything possible was done to frustrate General O’Duffy's plans. Civic Guards were stationed at all street corners; police guarded the approaches to the city, and military police were guarding the Government Building, reinoreed by Mr de Valera’s “New Army.” Crowds gathered at the Blue Shirts’ headquarters, where the police were especially strong. Two Blue Shirt S trades, arranged to be held at üblin, actually assembled, one three miles south of the city and the other a little north. Commanding officers read a special message, exhorting all to pay tribute to the dead by continuing' their work. “No good for Ireland would ever come of the frantic squabbles of warring parties,” said the message. “If politics means such squabbles, the time lias come to abolisli such politics. We are the vanguard of a new era- m Ireland. Nothing is going to halt 'our march until we have attained a united, prosperous, free, peaceful State.” Tile police arrived after the parades dispersed and met several Blue Shirts, but did not attempt to stop them, as the Government had instructed them to give the fullest protection and escort Blue Shirts to their homes, even if parades were held. A minor scuffle occurred at Cork, where, following a parade outside the Bine Shirt headquarters, young men wearing 1.11. A. badges, seized the National Guard flag hung at half-mast. Blue Shirts intervened and the flag was torn during the contest. The Republicans burnt the portion they captured. It is understood that there were no parades in Northern Ireland.