IRISH AFFAIRS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1923, Page 3

IRISH AFFAIRS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. CHASING DIO VALERA. BRIOEN DESPERATE. LONDON, April l:i. Free Strtic troops under General Protil uro scouring the mollntains to which l)t> Valera, Breen, mid other rebel lenders esenped when Lynch was captured. The ‘Daily Express's” Belfast coiTOKpomlont states that l)e A'nlera is attempting t ( , reach Cork. It is believed that he assumed a disguise. His escape hitherto l a- heen due to the skill in making-tip. lie escaped alter the fall of the Four ('mirls in the garments el' a hearse-driver. Breen is one of the most desperate rche! leaders, always carries two revolvers. declares he "ill never he taken alive. REBELS BOMBED. V LONDON, April 13. Three Irregulars, in a burn at Trienargh, refused to surrender when prised by Free State troops from I.istowel. Later the troops bombed the barn, and one rebel was killed and one was wounded. TREE STATE BUDGET. LONDON, April 11. President Cosgrave hrs intredmed the first Free State Budget in the Dail Eirettnn. It is for the year 1922-23. It discloses a debt of .L'2.500.(XX) with an Exchequer balance ol £ 197,000. President ( osgravo said : ‘‘We have heen engaged in a v.ar. involving an abnormal expenditure. Me also have suffered, big losses through organised sabotage.” The rebels lie added, bad utterly failed in their attempt to bring economic pressure to bear on the Free State. There would be iu> appreciable increase in the existing commitments. Ho was prepared to exhaust the resources of the Flee State in assorting the principle i I ordered government. The cost of the defence of the people's liberty, he declared, was well within their resource-.. There was no dingo' of crippling the prosperous development of the country ■ DK VALERA’S STAND. LION DON, April IL A Dublin telegram slates Air do \ ai-

. era has issued a statement in ccnncc- ■" V .tion with the death of Liam Lynch (Republican leader) in the form ol an oration to the Republican Army. He sLates: ‘‘Faced, in arms, by former comrades who have deserted your side, your task is a hard otic. It is a task uhich only heroes would venture to undertake. Aou have to king your, ell across the stampede of the nation, hut it is letter to die nobly, as your chief died, than to live as slaves. lour cause is immortal. 'Weariness irom the exacting struggle against ial.-e teachers, and temporaiy losses and defeats, may defer, hut they cannot prevail against the ultimate triumph, Ihe htieriliees you are making to-day will „ ensure it.' They who to-day in ignorance enluminato you, will to-morrow honour you.” ARRESTS IN LON DON. LONDON. April IL Scotland Van! made another dramatie swoop at midnight on the homes of some persons .-Uspeetcd to be .actively plotting in England on behalf ol the Irish rebels. Motors conveyed detects lives simultaneously to Greenwich, Woolwich, .and Bermondsey, where important documents were captured. The raid was planned with the utmost seereev. All the suspects were surprised, and niiinv were in bed. *- ' AUSTEN SLACK CAPTURED. REBEL PLANS ON LONDON. FURTHER MILITARY EFFORT FUTILE. (Received this day at 8 a.in.) LONDON, April 1-3. Following closely on police revelations after a London midnight raid of the Irish Rebels plans of war on London on a grand scale, comes news of the capture of Austen Slack, the fiercest rebel, on whom was found a document saying that further military efforts in Ireland were futile. The London raid was a .sequel to last month’s round up, when documents were found, the contents being now disclosed for the iirst time. The police discovered a roll of members of a special section of the rebel army ('pointing in London. The documents included plans for the destruction of the underground stations, attacks on Cabinet Ministers, and other high officials, raids on prison vans, destruction ol the light and and power stations, Die secret enlistment of London policemen in the rebel forces. The details given of Brixtmi Gao! formed a complete guide hook with the mimes of the "aiders and times of duty. Scotland Yard was similarly li-Letl. Ihe Old Bailey exits and the routes of the prison vans were described with a view to the

rescue of prisoners. The youngest member of the special section was aged 111, and none note over 21. Details were given ol their qualifications in regard to revolver and rifle shooting, and motor driving. Although many houses were searched last night only two men wore detained, charged with possessing firearms. The police have a linn grip of the conspiracy and the plans have been frustrated. Austen Slack was found unarmed and alone, hiding in a ditch near the place where Lynch was captured. He was caught while troops in aeroplanes were hunting for Do Valera, and was taken to Clonmel unresisting, where he was found to possess the document hearing the signatures of the Republican Executive. This speaks of the gravity ol the situation of the army of the Irish Republic, owing to the great odds facing them and the losses lately su»Liined. The document proceeds:—••Being of the opinion that further miliiary effort would he futile and only cause injury to the country without obtaining any advantage and convinced that a ten months’ defensive war has made it impossible for the Irish people ever to accept less than lull national rights and fearing it would cause a delay to await the summoning of the

Full meeting of the Army Council, ere the nuclei signed members of the Army Council, hereby cull upon and authorise the President of the Republic to order an immediate cessation of hostilities. Volunteers are requested to hand in their arms pending an election ol the Government which will he the tree choice of the people.” REST POLITICAL REA IN'S GONE. FINAL HAMMER BLOW. [Reuters Telegrams.] (Received this day at 0.15 a.m.) LONDON, April 15 The capture of Austen Stack and the discovery of the document is described as the Free Staters final hammer blow. Stack has one of the host political brains in the Republican movement, but he remained a mystery man. The death of Liam Lynch removed the dictator standing between the army on the verge of despair and the peace movement, inspired by reason with a

determined peace move piloted by Stack on the eve of being brought to a conclusion. Stack evidently realising the futility of prolonging the conflict may have been responsible for a clear move, having a semblance of surrender, without the ignominy of giving himself up to the Free Staters. Stack’s capture removes the prop supporting the Irregular movement and it may well he that the euel of the struggle has arrived. Do Valera’s flamboyant manifesto seems to he an attempt to rally the courage of despair.