IRELAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1918, Page 5

IRELAND.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER, NO DOUBT AS TO THE CONSPIRACY. NATIONALISTS NOT INVOLVED. Eeceived May 26, 5.5 p.m. London, May 25. Speaking at a luncheon at Edinburgh, Mr. Lloyd George said there was no. Ck -,il)t about there having been a consp.racy for a great Irish rising He had perused the evidence. Some of the evidence could not be published, because is would disclose the sources of our information. No taunts would drive hiri or the Government to publish that portion. The Government would have deserved impeachment if it had shirked action. He added that the Nationalists were not involved in the conspiracy.— Press Assoc.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT. HISTORY OF CONSPIRACY. GERMAN ATTEMPTS TO FERMENT REBELLION. IRISH PREPARATIONS TO CARRY IT OUT. London, May 24. The Press Bureau has issued a statement regarding the Irish arrests. The revolutionary movement consisted iof two series oi activities. The first was a German attempt to foment rebellion, while the second comprised preparations in Ireland to carry out these attempts. It is possible to give a detailed account of the connection between the Sinn Fein leaders and the Germans during the period prior to the abortive Easter rebellion in 1916, but a full statement of the subsequent facts in the Government's possession would not be in the public interest, because it would reveal tl.» names of those assisting the Government, also the channels of communication through which the German Government was acting.

The story begins on November C, 1914, when Zimmermann transmitted through Count B?rnsilorff a message from Sir Roger Casement, asking that a messenger, if possible a native-born American, be f.ent to Ireland with word that everything was fayoraible. Casement also asked that an Irish priest be sent to Germany to corrupt the Irish war prisoners, and Father John Nicholson, an Irish-born American, reached Germany. He transmitted a message to America in January, 1915 Von Papen reported, in December, J&l4, that verbal assurances had been s ent to Ireland in nsponso to Casement's request, and that these had produced an excellent impression The plot ripened at the beginning of lOlfi. tfornsdorff's despatch of February 10 included an extract from the report nf John Devoy, head of the Clan GaelDevoy wrote that action in Ireland could not be postponed much longer, be-' cause he feared the leaders would be arrested. Devoy added that it had been decided to begin action on Easter Saturday. He urged that arms and munitions should reach Limerick by that date. Bernsdorff, following bis usual practice, surreptitiously attached a note to the message, which was passed by the American Government to Berlin, fixing the rising for Easter Saturday, and urging the prompt despatch of munitions. Von Jagow replied on March 4 that arms would be landed at Tralee Bay. Bernsdorff sent a message on March 14 that the Irish agreed, and that he was sending a messenger to Ireland with full details. Bernsdorff also telegraphed, in a code for use between tho Germans and the rebels, while the arms were in transit, and he explained that a submarine might safely enter Dublin Bay, as far as the Pigeon House, without encountering nets. Von Jagow, on April 28, intimated that arms would be sent, and a special code word was used nightly as an introduction to the German wireless press service- Bernsdorff informed Berlin that numerous private wireless receiving stations existed in Ireland.

Urgent messages from America to Berlin on April 18 and 10 fixed the delivery of arms for the evening of Easter Saturday, pressed for a landing of German troops, and asked that an air raid and naval attack on the English coast should be arranged. These attacks actually occurred between the 24th and 2Rth. It was the declared hope of the rebels that their German and American friends would blockade Irish ports against England and establish German submarine bases in Ireland. The rebellion broke out a day later than schedule. The German support miscarried, and the revolt ended in complete failure.

The British Government has the clearest proof that Irish volunteers had been long in communication with the German authorities, and had received money through Irish-American societies. Soon after the rising it became clear that Sinn Fein leaders were again asking Germany for help. Berlin sent a message to Washington on June 17 that they were ready to give further help if the Irish would only say what sort of help was required. Bernsdorff in a despatch of June 16, described the rebellion, and stated that a thousand sterling had bean provided for Casement's defence.

Bernsdorff, on July 25, sent a message that tho reorganisation of the rebels was progressing, and that he had remedied their lack of money. Bernsdorff, on September 8, enclosed a memorandum from the Irish revolution director resident in America, containing detailed proposals for a fresh rising, contingent on Germany sending an expedition with a sufficient military force to cover the landing. Germany was to fix the time. The advantage of submarine and Zeppelin bases in the West of Ireland was mentioned as an inducement. Bernsdorff, who, evidently, was having some difficulty with bis tools, on October 24 warned Berlin not to allow Captain Boehm, then living at Rotterdam, to write to Irishmen in America, because his letters were apt to reach the wrc»* people. We subsequently arrested Boehm in British waters. Bernsdorff, in a despatch of December 4, mentioned that the Irish leaders in America were pressing for a reply to tlioir proposal of Septetmber 8. Ziiu.

mermann, on December 31. replied, giving the quantities of munitiuns which it was .proposed to land between February •'1 and 25, 1917, adding that it was impossible to send troops lb"- Icrll' roijiinl on January S that ilir ii committece declined the propo ..i, on the ground that a rising would be useless without Oinian troops After America's entry, communications between the German Government and the Sinn Fein leaders wcrn temporarily broken off. Devoy's messenger service between America and Ireland was not affected. The clue to the new lino was risible in Ireland in the speeches of the Sinn Fein leaders during this period. Vaiera, addressing a convention of Irish rnhinteers on October 27, 1917, said he would never advocate another rebellion without hopeful chances of success. Proper organisation would result in half a million Irish volunteers, but there was no hope of success except through a German invasion of England antl the landing of troops in Ireland. They should be prepared to leave nothing undone towards that end. Vaiera, in January, 1918, said that so long as Germany is England's enemy, and England Ireland's enemy, so Jong would Ireland be Germany's friend.

For a considerable time it was difficult to obtain accurate information of German Sinn Fein plans, but it was definitely ascertained in April, 1918, that a plan for landing arms in Ireland was ripe for execution, and that the Germans were only awaiting information from Ireland regarding the time and place. The British authorities warned the Irish command regarding a pTobable landing, and an agent from Germany, from a submarine, actually landed on April -12, but was arrested.

The rising depended largely on the landing of munitions from submarines. Evidence exists that a risingwas planned to follow a successful Gprmtui offensive on the West front, as Britain would then, presumably, be stripped of troops. Documents found in Valera's possession showed how he had worked out in great detail the constitution of his rebel army, and hoped to muster half a. million trained men.

There is evidence that German munitions were actually shipped aboard submarines at CuAaven at the beginning of May, and German submarines had for some time been busy round the West coast of Ireland on other errands than the destruction ol shipping. Thus, it will be seen, negotiations between the Sinn Fein executive and Germany have been virtually continuous for three and a-half years. A section of Irish-Americans at first was the intermediary in the discussions, but since America's entry communications with t.r.t enemy tended to be more direct.

The second rising, planned for 1917, only broke down because Germany was '.uisuble to <en& troops 'I ne ;plans for the IMS rising were maturing in connection with the German offensive on the West front. A new shipment of arms front CetiiMt] wui imminent

An important featuTe of every plan was the establishment of submarine basts in Ireland, in order to menace the ship, ping of ail nations. Undei these circumstances no other course was open to the Government, if useless bloodshed were to be avoided, and its duty to the Allies fulfilled, but to intern the authors and abettors of this criminal in-trigue—Aus-N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. , ARRESTS OF SINN FEINERS. PENDING IN AMERICA. Received May 20, 5.5 p.m. New Yorl? t May 24. Ninaerom Sinn Fein arrests &re pending in the United States, owing to suspected persons being implicated in German plots.—Press Assoe.