ARMED RIOTS IN DUBLIN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2756, 27 April 1916, Page 5

ARMED RIOTS IN DUBLIN

By Telegraph—Press Association—Oopyriffkt New York, April 26. A Eeutor raessago from London states that it was announced in the House of Commons by Mr. A. Birrell, Chief Seorqtary-for Ireland, that riots occurred in Dublin on Monday night. Twelve people were killed. The rioters are still in possession of parts of the city, but the troops control the situation. The High Commissioner reports:—, London, April 25, 9.35 p.m. The Chief Secretary for Ireland reports that a serious disturbance- took place in. Dublin on Monday. A large body of Sinn Fein agitators, mostly armed, occupied Stephen's Green, "taking- possession forcibly of the post office, and cutting the telegraph and telephone wires. Houses were also occupied in Stephen's Green, Sackville Abbey, and streets along the quays. _ "Soldiers from the Curragh have arrived, and the situation is now well in hand. "So far as is known, three military officers, five soldiers, two loyal volunr teers, and two policemen were killed, and live officers, eight soldiers, and six loyal volunteers were wounded. "There is at present no exact information of the casualties to the Sinn ITein .rioters. "Reports from Cork, Limerick, En-" nis, Tralee, and Tipperary show that no; disturbances occurred in those localities." ' SENSATION IN THE HOUSE DETAILS OF THE OUTBREAK (Rec. April 20, 6.10 p.m.) • London, April 25. A sensation was caused in the House when, replying to Mr. C. C. Craig (Unionist member for Antrim), Mr. Birrell (Chief Secretary, for Ireland) gave details of the outbreak in Dublin. This, he said, was apparently connected with Sir Boger Casement's raid. The Minister added: "The rebels seized the post office. Twelve lives havo been lost. Telegraphic communication has been cut off, and we are Unable to se?oure further news, but the House may rest assured that the situation is well in hand. - There have been arrests,but I am unable to give names."' Mr. Birrell added that So far he had heard of twelve deaths. He was afraid that four or five soldiers had been killed.

Colonel Crawford (Unionist member! for East Belfast) asked whether Dublin was iii the hands of the rebels up till seven o'clock on Sunday night.

Mr. Birrell replied: "They are in possession of four or five difforent' parts of the city."

.Mr. Pemberton Billing asked whether the traitor Casement would be shot forthwith.

Mr. Ascruith (Prime Minister) declined to reply.

Mr. Birrell, when announcing the uprising in Parliament, was ashon-faced and stunned. He had always been an optimist on Irish affairs. '

The Irish Nationalists' sat silent. Only the Unionist members asked questions.

..CASEMENT THE RENEGADE ' IN CUSTODY AWAITING HIS TRIAL The High Commissioner reports:— London, April 25, 1.25 p.m. "Sir Roger Casement, who was arrested in connection with an abortive attempt to land arms in Ireland from a German vessel, was brought tb Lon J don on Sunday, and is now detained, in military custody. "It is understood that ( evidence of his proceedings in Germany since the outbreak of war will bo produced at his trial."

TRAIN WRECKERS AT WORK AN ENGINE DERAILED. London, April 25. Attempts have been made to wreck a ! train near Maryborough, Ireland, A telegraph pole was laid across the track. Shots were fired at a man who was trying to remove the pole. The engine, with a carriage load of police, was derailed, owing to the rails having been pulled up. The police at Drogheda have warned newsagents against circulating seditious and anti-recruiting papers.

THE NEWS IN NEW ZEALAND ■, PRIME MINISTER, SHOCKED AND DISAPPOINTED. The Prime Minister, speaking at the opening of the Soldiers' Hostel yesterday afternoon, made the following referonce to the disturbances in Ireland: — "The news has come to me as a shock end a disappointment, tut do not let it bb imagined for one moment that the majority of the Irish people are disloyal. Tlie huge majority of the Irish are intensely loyal, and will prove their loyalty before the trouble goes far. I hope that the outbreak will be put down with a strong hand, and that Casement and the other traitors who have been acting with him will r,eceive the full punisliment which traitors deserve Tha difficulty must bo faced promptly, but we can do it and carry the war on' to victory at the same time,"

MISCHIEF-MAKING IN IRELAND

RECENT UNREST REVIEWED. THE SINN FEIN AGITATIONS. In an article which' in pnrt is almost prophetic,' "The Times" correspondent in that journal's issue of March 4 last thus describes certain aspects of the ' Sinn Fciners' activities. There is (ho says) a very small nucleus of bitter, sincore, and clever malcontents. There is a much larger number who say, and perhaps believe, that "this is not Ireland's war" because they h.ivo heen disappointed about Home l?nlo. There is a still lnrger number who profess the doctrines of Sinn Fojn as an excuse for the selfishness or apathy that, keeps them from joining the colours. The Irish Volunteers are drawn from those three groups. Those volun.lecrs have been gaining recruits at the exneiiSß of the official, or Itedmondito, volunteers. They are fairly well nr'mqd, and liavo made strong speeches and held public parades with impunity. They pro-' pagate their views by mean's of a nuniher of smalt newspapers, and their doctrines get a footing in the national schools The activities of the Sinn Fein inovem«nt are mnra obvious than they were

SINN FEIN OUTBREAK POST OFFICE SEIZED AD LINES ' SEVERED / SITUATION UNDER CONTROL

i three months ago. Perhaps the Irish ; Executive regard this fact as an.advan. • tagc. It may take the view of a weekly ■■"■• newspaper, '"New Ireland/' which says;— ,- In many respects the organisation (the''V volunteers), by its sense of discipline, its - openness, its lack of those elements of ' secrecy which wore sucli a weakness in " the movements of the past, now Inspires - ; courage in all w ho have placed their" hopes in a, brighter future for this conn-,' -j Indeed, nobody can complain that many, i nt least, of- the operations of the Sinniein movement are not perfectly open to ' the day. Its newspapers are sold in every, small general shop in Dublin and through- r , out the country. There is no sort of con. ■"< ooalnient about the marchings and drill. - mgs of the Irish Volunteers. • Although,-"' the Importation of arms into Ireland'ha« been strictly-prohibited;'the volunteered declare publicly that they, are getting all ' : "- the arms that they need. Under from Headquarters" in its issue of .Feb—-' -ruary.26, the "Irish Volunteer" says:- "■" Since the Howth landing there-has never ': been a moment' at which headquarters'■'': was not in a position to supply ouns fo» ' money down. ■', ; . There is no doubt about the continuous" •' ? rm K? ? f the Sinn Fein "movement. II ■' is still drawing Tecruits from the official 'n volunteers, .especially since '.renewed 'pr'e'i';',\ sure to join the colours has been put- ' U P°" ™e farmers' sons.' It has a'sub-.'" stantial following in Dublin: It is strona ;V « in the counties of Wexford, Cork, and ; ' Kerry: It has many adherents on the ? western and north-western seaboard, ■■'• wnere the recruiting statistics are the low* ■•' est m Ireland.; ■ . '.-. '■"■"■ ..,\ vv; '?>', Sinn Feiners' Furious with Mr." Redmond.'. -• Two causes -have combined of Into -to"-'--i stimulate the Sinn Seiners to public ex.- ' pression of, their strength and p«rposo.- : > One is the inaction of the GovoramtuL' "' which, whether wise or unwise, has had • the inevitable- result of making these'people, believe that they oan do almost ': anything with impunity, A hot-headed '"> man is not likely to abstain from violent i talk when,.-ho knows .that,: even if he is : ' prosecuted, under■ the 'Defence of the ■ ■ Kealni Act, his chances of acquittal are. ' ten to one.. Again, Mr. Ecdmond's strong ' \ stanim favour of recruiting 1 has irifun- ■'. i ated fhe Sinn Feiners, They- did not be- " ■ heve that he or the Nationalist Part? - ; would dare to be really active in getting V: Irisknon for the colours. The Natifinalt -•' ist I arty, as a body, may bo said, per. haps, to have justified their hopes, but ; Mr. Redmond has thrown himself. info ■'; the work of recruiting • with : enthusiastic •.'' sincerity, and with a courage which every"' ' loyal Irishman admires. The wrath, of ; the bum iciners is unbounded,'and he ia ' \abused in nearly every issue of their weekly newspapers with all the tropical luxuriance of Celtic imagery. .•-•.'■. On Sunday, February 27, a recruitina meeting was held at Moycullen, County' (jalway, and the band of the Connaught ; Hangers was in attendance. A body of ' about 60 Sinn Fein Volunteers interrupt-: ' ed the meeting, and, though warned more - than once by the fw policemen who were present, insisted on marching through it. borne time ago, in another. part x of Gal- '■ i waj', the carts of a local magistrate who was active in recruiting wore upset on the roadside. Nobody was brought to book for either of these incidents. It is not surprising that in' country district*'J 1 :• where the Sinn Feiners are- strong"te< ' I cruiting has come almost to a standstill, In Dublin the Volunteers are beginning ' ' to indulge in military exDeriments ai which a man with Mr. Birrell's' keel sense of ■ humour (if Mr. Birrell wer« • ever in Dublin) might' be disposed, tc 6milo. In people who live in Dublin, however, and havo sons and brothers al -,'• the front, surgit amari aliquid. On th« ;'- night of Saturday, February 5, a larga -. body of Citj Volunteers decided toipraatise street fighting. They gathered with, rifles and bayonets at 11 o'clock in Black.' hall Place, an open space near the Liffey, - •'.- and for a couple of hours they engaged" in strenuous exercises. Some, policemen watched them with professional interest, ' but the residents in the place (though - Dublin is used to queer things) were V little alarmed. Here-, is another story, . : which has not appeared in print, and i? now given as true oh excellent authority. Some-weoks ago a number of armed men appeared about midnight outside Dubliiv' Castle. The officer in cbage posted on( body of troops at the Upper and anothef at the Lower Gate. A third body mi ■■''■: pent roiiud to hold the exits at the rear. ' After tuese dispositions had been mad< to the officer's satisfaction, he inspected ; - and dismissed his troops. Dublin CastU- '• had been taken—in theory. Such affairi may, perhaps, be regarded as "playact-. , ■ ing"—a symptom of the impish tenden. ! cies of the Celtic character. On the other hand, they may have a seriou* sine. i ;■■"..

Disloyal Press. In any back street in Dublin you, may collect within ten minutes conies of at least a dozen weekly newspapers which are devoted' to ~tke propagation of Sinn.' Fein principles. Some of them arc fairly '■■ substantial papers and are sold at a penny: other slender broadsheets are sold at a halfpenny. It is not easy to discover vthe circulation of these. newspaper, but it ranges probably from 2000 to Buoo a week. One penny monthly, called Fianria,--"' is,, or was, devoted—l have not seen a '. copy since the January number—to the • * edibcation of boys and girls. Its motto '■■ was Wordsworth's line, "The child 'ir' father to the man. In January thi< : paper told Irish schoolboys and school*" " giris that:— _ Tho English Army of occupation, with elj '■'' its camp followers, its soupers. and iti-> '- •' Castle hacks, its climbers aud its moneymakers, aro busy entrapping men into th« ' British Army; ■■■■. ••■-.•>.>•»*•,■> All.theso pa,pers. discourage, recruitingsome rather insidiously, and some with the mos,t vehement rhetoric. As I have said, Mr. Redmond is just now the spe-" cial object of their displeasure. In the ' "Spark'' for Sunday, February 27, , one ' reads:— i \

If Redmond's ..visit., to tho -trenches--was / ; stage-managed,,and if he was only shown "ii tho bright side'of trench" life; I can but •■ pity the man lor tho deception of which ho was tho victim. But if, on tho other hand, he knows the truth about the,con-; '.' ditions in the trenches, I say then it is his crowning aot of infamy that he seeks to entice moro Irishmen to share those \ * conditions. Prior to the engagements the' - men are doped with rum, and between tam„, X and the .excitement and roar of bureting- '. ■ shells they become callous of danger and ' ' charge like infuriated gorillas'. \, No doubt this article was read in hundreds of country cottages where any sort of printed page has still a certain sane- ' tity. The Irish peasant still clinches a. ' statement by telling you that ha saw it ' - "on the paper." ■■'■;