IRISH TERRORISM.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 193, 15 August 1931, Page 15

IRISH TERRORISM.

Republicans Drilling in Secret. COMMUNISTS AIDING THEM United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received August 15, 2 p.m.) LONDON, August 14. Another reign of terrorism is threatening Southern Ireland, according to the special correspondent of the “DailyExpress” in Dublin. A few thousand Republicans, aided by a strong Communist element, are threatening to embroil the country in further bloodshed. Great dumps of ammunition have been hidden throughout the country and the Republicans are secretly drilling. Mr James Fitzgerald-Kenny, Minister of Justice, admits frankly that the Government is powerless to deal with the rebels under the ordinary law and is resolved to seek emergency powers. The nature oi these has not been disclosed..

The Free State Ministry is gravely concerned at the recrudescence of shooting and is introducing a new Police Bill seeking power to abolish trials by jury, to create a tribunal having authority to inflict the death penalty and to permit the use of the Army in co-operation with the Civic Guards to suppress the widespread illegal drilling of the Irisli Republican Army. Republican terrorism frustrated the plans of the Orangemen of Cavan and Monaghan to celebrate the relief of Londonderry last Thursday. The situation was so ugly that Free State troops were called up by wireless. The latest leport said that the troops had lined one side of the road to Coote Hill, and irregular forces, the other side. Intense excitement prevailed from Derry to Belfast.

Catholic youths promptly tore up tne tracks of the Great Northern Railway in order to prevent special trains with Orange demonstrators reaching the meeting place at Coote Hill. All roads converging on Coote Hill were blocked by huge trees and trenches were hurriedly cut during the night. All Orange flags and emblems were burnt. Great alarm was created throughout a wide district. The Orangemen, not being desirous ol causing bloodshed, abandoned their meetings. Large bodies of Catholic youths, arm ed with heavy sticks, marched on Coote Mill. Others travelled in commandeered lorries and motor-cars. Parties blew up the railway bridge and took up positions to prevent the Orangemen from * oming in their thousands at dawn. When the Civil Guards arrived the Catholics bolted. A number were arrested. The action of the Republicans was regarded as an obvious retort to the Police Bill, now before the Dail Eire- “ Undoubtedly underground organisations in the Irish Free State are becoming bolder. They are drilling and committing outrages under the noses of the police, who are unable to cope with the increasing menace of lawlessness owing to the conspiracy of silence among the general population, who arc afraid to perform their civil duty owing to terrorism and the intimidation of jurors,” said the Minister of Justice,. Mr James Fitzgerald-Kenny. “The Go-' vernment is aware that , a so-called- Republican Army is drilling and is determined to hold the murder gang in check and prevent a repetition of the murders which have blackened the history of the Free State.”