IN IRELAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1918, Page 3

IN IRELAND.

[psß PBEBS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.] 500 ARRESTS MADE. 1 SINN FEINERS ACTIVE. , A DUKE’S RESIDENCE RAIDED. LONDON, May 19. Further arrests include McGuinnesi a Commoner and Professor Monaghan Some accounts place the total arrests in Ireland as high as five hundred. Masked Sinn Feiners in motor cart on Saturday raided Duko Abereorn’E residence at Baronscourt. They cut the telephone and placed tho gate keepers under guard. They searched the castle for arms unavailingly. NEWSPAPER, COMMENTS. PARTICULARS OF CONSPIRACY. LONDON, May 19. The newspapers are asking: “What will Mr. Dillon do?” A Nationalist meeting has been summoned for Monday to discuss the situation. Mr O’Brien, a Commoner, suggests that the first effective answer Ireland can give the Government would be tlie unanimous election of Griffith for East [ CJ#ivan. ' Mr- Shortt states that the number of Irishmen and Irishwomen who are in active co-operation with tho Germans is very small, hut others may become involved. Tho Government ’’believe that they can rely on Irish support irrespective of creed or polities, in the measures taken. The “Observer” says that tho reality of the seriousness of the German plot has been known for somo time. In view of the present urgency of the whole war position this repeated treason must be put down with an unflinching hand. The’ “Observer” strongly criticises the Nationalst manifesto to American, and their failure to repudate the Sinn Fein attitude. The “Irish Times” says this German plot is not a conspiracy against the Allied cause, but is against Ireland’s honour, if it should succeed with the help of even a handful of Irish traitors, and fanatics, it would involve the country in deathless shame, writing out tho splendid record of tho Irish soldiers in this and former wars. “Freeman’s Journal,” says that possibly a few foolish men in Ireland may have entered the conspiracy in working with German aid, hut the Irish have never been pro-German. The proclamation means that conscription will bo launched under cover of the revelations of the alleged German plot.

COUNT PLUNKET ARRESTED. LONDON, May 19

Count Plunkett was arrested at Dublin, where the streets were crowded. The night passed quietly. Groups were discussing tho arrests.

SINN FEIN MEETING. (Received This Day at 12.30. a.m.) NEW YORK, May 19. At the Sinn Feiners’ meeting the speakers declared England’s policy will result in the massacre of Irish men, women and children. All sympathisers were pledged to petition tlie United States, asking aid for Home Rule, and against conscription. A TURBULENT MEETING. (Received this day at 12.30 a.m.) NEW YORK, May 19. A turbulent meeting of sympathisers and Sinn Feiners carried a resolution arranging a presidents’ congress to vigorously aid Ireland in the fight for Home Rule They also passed resolutions declaring Mr Wilson’s declaration in favour of self-rule and self-determina-tion should apply to Ireland, which was held by England’s military force alone. England’s rule of Ireland had been a complete failure. The Irish question was internal, and unless settled would be a permanent danger to the world’s peace. 'The speakers included James Larkin. WELL-KEPT' SECRET ■s- , STORY OF THE ARRESTS. DENIAL OF PRO-GERMANISM. Received, this day at ft. 45 a.m. LONDON, May 20.

Tho “Daily Chronicle's ” Dublin correspondent says tho secret was well kept.. The arrests came as a surprise to tho affected persons, and also t<> everyono outside of Dublin Castle. The printer of the Proclamation was entrusted only with the headings 'and formal parts. Afterwards typewritten copies of the effective parts were pasted in the blank spaces. Dublin residents first intimation of anything unusual was the continuous barking of dogs, several hours ailei midnight, while motor lorries with prisoners were driving in the streets. Kingston early, risers found a large number of soldiers guarding the jetty, and learned that Sinn I’eincrs were aboard a warship. The arrests have nothing to do with the Anti-Conscrip-tion Campaign. or Sinn Fein as an organisation, or seditious speeches. Some of the prisoners are not Sinn Feiners. Every arrest was solely based on the suspicion of treacherous communication, with the enemy. It is ivumoured that incriminating documents were found on a man captured in a collapsible boat; and also on another captured off Kerry. The correspondent says: “I believe something more definite has found its way to the British Government from a friendly country, which exposed the earlier plots against the Allies, always in the nick of time. “ I firmly believe that the prisoners won’t be court-martialled or brought to public trial. Government will scrupulously abstain from giving any excuse for disorders among the Irish .public.

“ Irish newspapers unitedly deny there is any pro-Germanism in Ireland; therefore, the Government must recognise the necessity of justifying the arrests as a war measure, and don’t imply the revival of the Coercion Act, but war measures must he well grounded. Government must not lose time in proving to Ireland, and the whole world, that the plot is genuine. “It is unfortunate that the belated, grudging withdrawal of conscription, which the Proclamation announces, is ! annulled for the moment by the sensaI tional arrests and discovery of the plot*’ | CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE. I (United Service Telegrams.)’ ! nh-'oewe.l This «< 10. tr, ,m V j LONDON; .-.May 20. ; The “ Daily. Mail ” understand that -Government has conclusive evidence of the. Irish, conspiracy. The, Germans clearly hoped for. a. great, insurrection to synchronise with the supremo moment of the gigantic Western Offensive.

j SENT TO ENGLAND. \ ‘| ARRESTS STILL CONTINUE. .' (Received This ])av at noon.) ; LONDON, May 20. i j Arrested*;, to the number of over ono ; hundred, including 73 Sinn Foiners, ' sailed from Kingston (Ireland) to Holyi head (England) on Saturday. A huge crowd at Kingston cheered the prisoners, the crowd shouting; “Up with rebels and smash the Nationalists.” The police later dispersed them, the crowd commencing to sing the. soldiers’ song. I Arrests continue in Athlone, Gallway, Cavan, Cashel, Sligo, Dundalk, Kil--1 kenny, Clonnel, Roscommon, and Cork, but principally in Dublin. Four Sinn Fein Commoners have thus ( far been arrested. I Apart from Ginned, who is serving six months in Mountjoy prison, practically, die whole of governing body of i the Sinn Fein movement are in custody. The general belief is that the Catholic Clergy will now abandon their original attitude of stern resistance, -i well-known Dublin priest said on Sunday—lf it is true that a German plot ex_ i isted in Ireland, the great majority of the Nationalists would wihdraw their • sympathy from the STnn Fein movement j and would centre tlieir hopes for an Tr- ! ish settlement in constitutional methods under Air Dillon’s party It is believed in Dublin that Air Dillon may decide to bring back his folj lowers to Westminister and interrogate Government regarding the German plot especially as Lord French’s proclamation virtually admits that, the conscription policy has failed. FURTHER DETAILS. r I.OXDON TIMES SERVICE—COPYRIGHT! (Received this day at 1.30 p.m.l LONDON, Afay 20. For months the knowledge that a new conspiracy was maturing, weighed on Ireland like a night-mare. The tangible evidences thereof wore numerous [including the looting of arms, and explosives, and boasting by orators. All Irish loyalists are convinced that Germany is at the bottom of the trouble ■She believed another rebellion was possible should. the Allies meet with seri-ous-reverses in France. The authority of the evidence is unquestioned. The “Times’’ in a leader says it is most necessary to publish the eviddenco immediately to dispel the cloud of sensational rumours afloat.

SINN FEIN PREPARATIONS (United Service Telegrams).

(Received this day at. 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, Alay 20

The “Daily Alail’s” Dublin correspondent says it. is believed the Sinn Feiners had prepared for a decentralized control of the- organization in the event of the central committee being put out of action. The most important, documents were destroyed or removed and the conscription fund, totalling £200,000 sterling remains in the lianas of the local trustees.