Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 158, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1918 — Outbreak in Ireland Was Planned by Bernstorff [ARTICLE]

Outbreak in Ireland Was Planned by Bernstorff

British Press Bureau Bares Details of Series of Conspiracies. COT AID FROM AMERICANS {Germany's Purpose Was to Obtain Submarine Bases on Ireland's Coast —Documents Disclose Connection Between Sinn Fein and Germany. London. —Germany’s untiring efforts foment revolution in Ireland with the aid of the Sinn Fein are laid hare In a statement 1 from the official press trareau, reviewing this phase of the Irish political situation since the beginning of the war. After the rebellion of Easter week, 1916, plans were made for a revolt in 1917, but this miscarried because of America's entry into the war and Germany's inability to send troops to Ireland. An uprising in Ireland was planned for this year after -the German offensive in the west had been successful and when Great Britain presumably would be stripped of troops. Concerning the recent arrests in Ireland, the statement says, the facts end documents for obvious reasons, ■cannot be disclosed at this time, nor -can the means of communication, between Germany and Ireland. One phase of every plan called for the establishment of submarine bases tn Ireland. In the present circumstances, It Is added, no other course was open to the government “if useless bloodshed was to be avoided and Its duties to its allies fulfilled, but to intern the authors and abettors of this '■criminal intrigue.”

German Government in Plot. The statement from the press bureau follows: “The revolutionary movement in Ireland which culminated in the arrest of « considerable number of persons last ■week consisted of two closely related •series of activities. Attempts by the ■German government to foment rebellion in Ireland and preparations in Ireland to carry these attempts' into action. ‘ “The story of the active connection •between the leaders of the Sinn Fein movement and the Germans, as disclosed by documenta in possession of the British government, falls into two parts—the period prior to and the period since the abortive Irish rebellion ■of Easter, 1916. “The events of the first period can be told in some detail, bnt the second period, which concerns recent events, permits of no more than a summary, as a full statement of the facts and ■documents in possession of the government would disclose the names of persons who stood by the government and also the channels of communication through which the German government was acting and which it would not be tn the public Interest to reveal at present.

American Carried Messages. “The story begins as .early in the war as November 6, 1914, when Herr Zimmermann transmitted through Count von Bernstorff a message from Sir Roger Casement (later captured in Ireland and executed) asking that ft messenger, a native-born American if possible, be sent to Ireland with word that everything was favorable. He was to carry no letter, for fear of arrest. Casement also asked that an Irish priest should be sent to Germany with the assistance of the German gatlon in Norway to work in prison camps to corrupt Irish prisoners of war. The priest was a certain Father 'John T. Nicholson, an American cltl«en of Irish birth. He reached Germany safely, and we found him in January, 1915, transmitting messages to (America. “According to a report of Capt. von Papen (German military attache in Washington), dated December 5, 1914, verbal assurances were sent in response to Casement's inquest that an excellent impression had been produced in Ireland. In the beginning of 1914 the plot ripened and on February 10 of that year Count von Bernstorff sent to a covering address in Rotterdam a dispatch signed with the name of Skal, one of his principal American agents. “The dispatch included an extract from the report of John Pevoy, head of the Clan-na-Gael, to the effect that action in Ireland couM not be postponed much longer since he feared the arrest of the leaders. It had been decided, he said, to begin action on Easter Saturday, and he urged that arms end munitions be in Limerick by that date. Bernstorff Set Date. ’ “ “Later in the same month Von Bernstorff, following his usual practice, surreptitiously attached to a message to Berlin passed by the American government, a note fixing Easter Saturday for the rising and urging the dispatch of munitions. On March 4 Von Jagow .(German foreign minister) replied that the arms would be landed in Tralee, bay, and asked that the necessary arrangements be made in Ireland through Devoy. On March 14 Von Bernstorff replied that the Irish agreed •nd that full details were being sent to Ireland by messenger. “The '■next fay Von. Bernstorff telegraphed the code to be used between

the Germans and the rebels while the arms were in transit, and explained that a submarine might safely .enter Dublin bay and go as far as Pigeon House without encountering nets. “On March 26 Von Jagow replied that the arms would be sent and that a special code word would be used every night as the introduction to- the German wireless press service. In a message from Von Bernstorff to Berlin the Germans were assured that there wrf-e numerous private wireless receiving stations in Ireland. “On April 18 and April 19 urgent messages were sent from America to Berlin fixing the delivery of arms for the evening of Easter Sunday, pressing for the landing of German troops and asking for an air raid on England and a naval attack on the English coast. These attacks actually took -place between April 24 and 26. “It was declared to- be' the hope of the rebels and their German and American friends to blockade Irish ports against England and establish bases In Ireland for German submarines, - “The rebellion broke out a day later than- scheduled, on . Easter Monday, April 24, but, as the world Is aware, German support miscarried and It ended in complete failure. The report of the royal commission on the rebellion in Ireland states: “ ‘lt is now a matter of common that the Irish volunteers had been in communication with the authorities in Germany and were for a long time known to have been supplied with money through Irish-American societies. This was so stated in public by John Mac Neil, former president of the Sinn Fein, on November 8, 1914. It was suspected long before the out: break that some of the money came from German sources.’

“It became clear soon after the rising that the Sinn Fein leaders again were asking Germany for help. On June 17 there was a message from Berlin to’Washington referring to ‘A 259 of May 6,’ a message which Is missing, and saying, that Germany was perfectly ready to give further help if the Irish only would say what sort of help they required. “On June 16 Von Bernstorff already had sent a dispatch giving an account of the rebellion and stating that $5.000 had been provided for the defense of Casement. On July 25 he sent a long message, explaining that the work of reorganizing the rebels was making good progress and that their lack of money had been remedied by him. “On September 8 in a dispatch to Berlin he inclosed a memorandum from a person, called ‘the Irish revolution director resident in America,’ which contained detailed proposals for a fresh rising. Any rising, said the Irish revolution director, must be contingent upon the sending by Germany of an ‘expedition with sufficient military force to cover a landing.’ Demanded U-Boat Bases. “On this occasion the German government was to fix the time, and as an inducement the advantages of having submarine and Zeppelin bases tn west Ireland was insisted upon, Von Bernstorff, on December 4, attaching surreptitiously to a message passed by the government, a note, in which he mentioned that the Irish leaders in America were pressing for an answer to their proposal of September 8. He seems to have followed this on Christmas day with a message which is missing, for on the last day of 1916 Foreign Secretary Zimmermann informed him of quantities of munitions which it was proposed to land between February 21 and 25, 1917. He added that it was impossible to send German troops? “On. January 18, 1917, Bernstorff replied that his Irish committee declined the proposal, as without Ger-

man troops a rising would be useless. “After America’s entrance into the war, in April, 1917, the line of communication between the German government and the leaders of the Sinn Fein party was broken temporarily, though there was no reason to believe that the ‘ messenger service between America and Ireland devised by John Devoy was affected. “A clew to the new line of communication was obtained subsequently and has been followed up actively. The effect of this new line in Ireland is visible In the speeches of the Sinn Fein leaders during this period. De Valera Planned Army. “For example, Prof. De Valera, addressing the convention of the Irish volunteers on October 27, 1917, said: “ ‘By proper organization and recruiting we could have 500,000 fighting .volunteers in Ireland. That would be a big army, but without the opportunity and means for fighting it could only be used as a menace. There already has been too much bloodshed without success, and I would never advocate another rebellion without hopeful chances of success. We can see no hope of that in the near future except through a German invasion of England and the landing of troops and munitions in Ireland. We should fie prepared to leave nothing undone toward that end.’ » “On another occasion. In January of this year, De Valera said: “ ‘As long as Germany is the enemy of England and England is the enemy of Ireland, so long will Ireland be a friend of Germany.’ “About April, 1918, It was ascertained definitely that a plan for landing arms in Ireland was ripe for execution and that the Germans only awaited definite Information. “The British authorities were able to warn the Irish command regarding the probable landing of an agent of Germany from a submarine. The agent actually landed on April 12 and was arrested. Revolt to Follow Drive. “The new rising depended largely upon the landing of munitions from submarines and there Is evidence to show that it was planned to follow a successful German offensive In the west and was to take place at a time when Great Britain presumably would be stripped of troops. “According to documents found on his person, De Valera had worked out In great detail the constitution of his rebel army. He hoped to be able to muster 500,000 trained men. There is evidence that German munitions actually had been shipped on submarines from Cuxhaven in the beginning of May, and that for some -time German submarines have been busy off the west coast of Ireland on other errands than the destruction of allied shipping. “No other course was open to the government if useless bloodshed was to be avoided and its duty to its allies fulfilled but to intern the authors and abettors of this criminal Intrigue.”

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