IRISH ANXIETY

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1933, Page 5

IRISH ANXIETY

POSSIBILITY OF ELECTION

COSGRAVE AND BLUE SHIRTS

PROBLEM OF LEADERSHIP

DEALING WITH OFFENDERS

NEW MILITARY TRIBUNAL

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

Rec. 7.25 p.m. London, Aug. 16. Anxious consultations are taking place between members of Mr. W. T. Cosgrave’s party in view of a possible, election. The position between the Blue Shirts and Mr. Cosgrave’s supporters is serious. It is rumoured Mr. Cosgrave is being urged to resign in order to show a united front against Mr. Eamon de Valera. Several of Mr. Cosgrave’s exXinisters are Blue Shirts and want to J)e General O’Duffy in the leading place of the possible administration, but Mr. Cosgrave and his intimates are opposed to the introduction of General O’Duffy. The Free State Cabinet after a three hours’ meeting decided to establish a military tribunal to deal with political offences. The Irish Gazette officially notifies additions to the Free State Constitution by which a special tribunal can be established, giving the police powers for questioning and arrest on suspicion, including suspicion of membership of associations deemed unlawfaL They also permit the banning of public meetings. General O’Duffy, following ecclesiastical intervention, cancelled the church parades called for August 20 on the grounds that ecclesiastical law does not permit parades in church precincts, but he substituted an assembly of the Blue Shirts .in each district at which two *» minutes’ silence will be observed in honour «f Griffiths, Collins and O’Higgins, after which the commanders will read important messages from General O’Duffy. ' . General O’Duffy states that the time and place of the district parades will be decided by the local commander. When asked whether the parades would be held on August 20 he declined to answer. Under the Public Safety Act a military tribunal may impose unrestricted penalties, including flogging and death, for political offences, and it may hold secret trials against which there is no appeal, says the Daily Telegraph. The Government has ordered the Board of Works to remove a statue of Queen Victoria stanting on the lawn in front of the entrance of Leinster House before the Dail re-assembles. A big-scale transfer to Britain of valuables, including pictures, jewellery and heirlooms stored in Irish banks, is following the withdrawal of arms, says the Dublin correspondent of the News Chronicle, because insurance companies have declared their policy does not cover “civil commotion.” Banks, deprived of arms, are installing tear-gas equipment.