IMPORTING ARMS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 618, 24 August 1933, Page 5

IMPORTING ARMS

9 MINISTER'S ALLEGATION (Rec. 7.15 p.m.) Duhlin, August 22 Mr. P. J. Ruttledge, Minister of the Interior, announced in the Senate that the Government possessed sufficient information that the National Guai;d was heavily armed and were importing further guns into the Free State. "We have made it perfectly clear that people will not be allowed publicly to parade with arms and unif orms," he said, "General O'Duffy accepted that challenge. If we get people with arms in public we will deal with them also." While Cabinet was reaching a decision to ban Blue Shirts, Sir John Keyes was moving that the disarming and banning of Blue Shirts was unjustified. He declared that the Government was using its powers against constitutional, loyal citizens, at the bidding of the heavily armed Repub lican Army. He add'ed that public anxiety was increased by the withdrawal of arms needed for protection, hut that the men deprived of arms

wouia laite stcps lu jjiuich "*>-*" selves, if not openly, then otherwise. They would not stand like sheep before the slaughter or like con,Q'emned men awaiting execution. Senator Comyn declared that the Republican Army would never be ] suppressed until it achieved an AllIreland Repuhlic. Sir John Keyes, after Mr. Ruttledge's speech, withdrew his motion, say ing that he hoped that the Government would be able to ensure peace, but he did not envy them their job. He added that a large section of the Irish people believed that when the opportunity came the Irish Republican Army would usurp the functions of the Government. "The Blue Shirts are neither Fascists nor Imperialists. Not even the Government Safety Act enables the Government to forbid the wearing of blue shirts or to proclaim the National Guard unlawful," declared General O'Duffy. "If we are banned, we therefore are unlawfully banned and we are not, bound to recognise it." He added that the National Guard would face any kind of persecution. "The period of coercion will only strengthen us," he said.