THREATS ON LIFE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20093, 13 November 1939, Page 11

THREATS ON LIFE

EIRE PRIME MINISTER

ARMED GUARDS’ WATCH

HUNGER STRIKE ECHO

REFUSAL OF RELEASE

(Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.)

(Reed. Nov. 11, 2.15 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 10,

The Daily Mail says that armed guards are watching the Prime Minister of Eire, Mr. E. De Valera, following two threats on his life, one by letter and one at a meeting outside Mountjoy gaol.

Both warnings declared: “If any hunger-strikers die, De Valera will die also.”

Three prisoners began hunger-strik-ing on October 15 and another on October 22. The last-mentioned has had no solid food for 19 days and subsists on water. He suffers from wounds received in the 1921 disturbances.

Previously, Mr. De Valera had announced in the Dail that four hun-ger-striking political prisoners in Dublin gaols were in imminent danger of death, but in view of the larger interests involved the Government regretted it could not release them. Of two evils the Government had chosen the lesser one of seeing men die, rather than the safety of the whole community should be endangered. Any other decision would amount to abdication.