IRISH AFFAIRS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 March 1924, Page 2

IRISH AFFAIRS

IUS'J'HALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. THE HOTEL SJEGE. LONDON, March 20 Mr Cosgrove is undertaking the duties of Irish Alinister of Defence. A Dublin message states that news reached the military headquarters at 9 o'clock on Tuesday night that a meeting of forty of the mutinous officers was held in Air Devlin’s public house which faces the Rotunda Hospital, within forty yards of the Parnell ATonumcnt. It was a well known Sinn Fein meeting place in Alike Collin’s days. AYhen the troops arrived, they searched the customers bar. Then they attempted logo upstairs, but they were suddenly warned to stand back. The searchers withdrew, but wore quickly reinforced by ten lorries loaded with troops, who surrounded a block of buildings and guarded the shops with armoured cars. There was considerable firing throughout the eleven hours of the siege, recalling the terrors of the revolutionary period, though it was bloodless. Alost of those captured were found on the roof, whence they could not escape owing to bright moonlight, so they surrendered without firing a shot. Colonel Slattery, one of the prisoners, jumped from a lorry while being taken to prison, and raced along the quay, pursued by soldiers, firing as they ran. Finally Slattery surrendered. It is believed that Tobin and Dalton with twenty or more other officers, previously escaped over the roofs in the darkness, while their comrades kept the troops at bay. A DIFFICULT SITUATION. DUBLIN, Alarch 20. Afr O’Higgins announced in the Dail Eiroan that the Defence Alinister, General Muleahy, had resigned. The Government, ho said, had demanded the resignations of Adjutant-General O’Sullivan, Chief of Staff AfoArahon and Quartermaster General O’Muirihilo. The Home Minister stated that last night’s operations were undertaken | without the authority of Genera! O’Diift'y or consultation wilh the Executive Council. The Government recognised the present: state of tilings ami the resignation of two Alinisters i constituted a problem which needed the greatest consideration. They Imped, j by t ln* beginning of the week, to be in j a position to tell the people what ae- I lion they-proposed to pursue in regard to the whole matter. ) EXECUTIVE NOT SATISFIED. LONDON, ’March 20. Speaking in the Dail. General O’Duffy, Minister of Home Affairs, said the Executive Council believed there existed a grave menace in the army where there were divisions. Societies. and cleavages which did not exist in the normal disciplined army, j The Council were not satisfied that they existed without the knowledge of the heads of the army. General O'Duffy, who has been appointed Alinister for Defence and rit - speetor-Geiieral of the Army, would j exact absolute discipline. | General Afnleahy said the Govern- I ment, in his opinion, were condoning ! the.mutiny. j AfcGrath. whose recent resignation j ns Alinister of Industry was accepted, j declared that the 'orders for last j night’s raids were issued tor the pur- j pose of creating trouble.