ARRESTED IN U.S.A.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 June 1939, Page 5

ARRESTED IN U.S.A.

IRISH REPUBLICAN CHIEF OF STAFF CHARGED WITH PASSPORT BREACH. SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS ON EVE OF ROYAL VISIT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 9.10 a.m.) DETROIT, June 6. Sean Russell, Chief of Staff of the I.R.A. was arrested by Federal agents and charged with entering the United States with an improper passport. The authorities said the arrest was made on orders from Washington.. Russell was unarmed. When arrested, he was accompanied by Joseph McGarrity, from Philadelphia, leader of the Irish American Society, who said he and Russell: "Had no intention of going to Windsor. After all the King had not invited us. We planned to stop here only a short time and then go on to New York.” Meanwhile immigration officers al tunnel, bridge and ferry connections betwen Detroit and Windsor took special precautions to check over thousands of Michigan residents trooping into Windsor to witness a brief visit by the King and Queen tonight. McGarrity said: “As for the visit of the King and Queen, if you read the papers you would know that the Irish Republican Army does not kill people. There should not be any apprehension there.”

Officials said the Department of Labour’s order for Russell's arrest, which charged him with being “a falsifier” is interpreted to mean that he i& not entitled to enter the country because his immigration visa is invalid or that he gained entry * ‘by fraud and misrepresentation."

WATCH MAINTAINED SCOTLAND YARD OFFICER EXPLAINS. RUSSELL’S INFLAMMATOR Z SPEECHES. (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) STRATFORD (Ontario), June 6. Sean Russell was arrested at the request of Chief Constable Albert Canning, of Scotland Yard, who travelled aboard the Royal train, says the special representative of the Australian Associated Press. Mr Canning has kept track of Russell’s movements ever since he arrived in America and began delivering inflammatory speeches. In one he said: “I ordered the recent bombings in England. I’ll keep on until British troops leave Ireland and my men are released from gaol.” Later Russell said: “A state of war exists between Britain and Ireland and will continue until British troops are withdrawn." Mr Canning told the Australian Associated Press that he. had had G men trailing Russell for the past three weeks. “His arrival at Detroit, jus* across the river from Windsor, on the eve of the, Royal visit, satisfied me that he meant no good,” Mr Canning added. “I requested the Detroit police to detain him.” Asked if he had any apprehension about the Royal visit to the United States, Mr Canning replied: “Not so much now.”