A TRAITOR CAUGHT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2755, 26 April 1916, Page 5

A TRAITOR CAUGHT

SIR ROGER CASEMENT ON A GUN-RUNNER . . THE IRISH COAST MYSTERY SHIP

The High Commissioner reports':—, London, April 24, 11.40 p.m. "Tlie Admiralty announces that between Thursday and Friday, an attempt to land arms and ammunition in Ireland was made by a vessel under the guise of a neutral merchant ship, tat which was really a Gorman auxiliary vossel acting in conjunction with a German submarine. "Tho auxiliary vessel was sunk, and a number of prisoners taken, amongst whom was Sir Roger Casement." . A RENEGADE IRISHMAN SIR ROGER CASEMENT'S CAREER. Sir Roger Casement has 6pent the bulk of the active years of his life, in tho British Consular Service, and as British Consul at llio de Janiero was associated with tho disclosures which led to the awful revelations concerning the Putumayo rubber atrocities. Hi 6 Consular service dated from 1895 till 1913, when he retired on pension. Since tho war broke out he has earned unenviable notoriety- by ranging himself on the German side as a professed champion of "down-trodden Ireland," seeking to enlist German interest in severing Ireland from Britain. In this unworthy cause he has been associated with several other 'renegades, including Houston Chamberlain ; a writer of repute and son of a British Admiral. Casement's traitorous action was first ventilated in the- House of Lords, when Earl Curzon, during the course of a debate on recruiting in Ireland, said:'—'

"This gentleman went to Germany* after the outbreak of war, where he has been accused of disgraceful and disloyal acts. His friends wrote to the papers that rot too much attention should be paid to those acts, as they were doubtful about his mental condition. Since then his proceedings seem to me to have been characterised by perfect possession of his faculties. The last thing of which we read is that he has prepared a pamphlet which has been printed bv the German Government *and circulated, pleading for an alliance between Germany and Irelaud. I do not desire to comment lipon thiuj it is unworthy of comment, but I wish to ask if this official who has received a title )'s to continue in the enjojuncnt of his pension?" The Marquis of Crewe:—

"From what we 'have heard •of hiawhereabouts, he is not in a position to draw his pension, nor is he likely to become so, but such notion as he is reported to have taken ought to bo followed, as far as possible, by the infliction of the severest penalties. With that I couple the melancholy reflection that a wan who has done sucli good services -in the past, assuming that lie is still in possession of all his faculties, should have fallen so low as he appears to - have done."- \ Traitorous Writings. Casement, in 1915, contributed a preface to a German edition of a monograph, published in New York, entitled "British Versus German Imperialism--a Contrast," in wliieh, inter aliaj, lie gave utterance to some most disloyal and traitorous suggestions. For example. ■ "Even as the Irish have been maligned, oppressed, insulted, and exposed to general contempt, even so would/the German people bp' attacked, even 6o are they in fact being attacked in every quarter of the globe where the English lies can'pene. trate and spread their asphyxiating gases. A common foe, 1 a common enmity, should create a common interest -and a 1 fixed policy. Hitherto Germany : has entirely misunderstood the Irish situation, and has missed—doubtless from her Tionourable goodwill for England—many, opportunities'to better her position in this direction. ... ", v . . A definite German policy with regard to Ireland should have been a part of the. German war-plan in the event of a German-British war. . . . Even as things, are. now Germany has friends in Ireland, and more perhaps than is suspected. To be sure they are unarmed friends, and hence powerless to .support their own cause or that of, the .nation, now threatened by'the same areli-enemy. But if there had been an Irish policy, if German methods had been less conscientious, less uprightly honourable' towards England,\ then the Irish volunteers might have comprised a well-armed fighting .body, a well-armed,;, Ireland might have had a more deterrent; effect upon England's greedy- ambition" than even the 'outraged neutrality' of Belglum could have outweighed. An armed Ireland might well have meant 'a disarmed' England." In February, 1015, Casement'alleged that.the British Minister in Norway had conspired to have him kidnapped and murdered, and the German Press made a' great parade of the allegation at the time. Casement is reported to liave actively endeavoured, with ill success, to seduce Irish prisoners in the - German prison camps to desert the British cause and enlist m a German-Irish brigade.'