New Britain herald., 1916-04-28
JOHN DEVOY DEFIES
 PRESIDENT WILSON
Dares Him to Bring Action for
 Aiding Easement Expedition

" aSnlnStOn, ApTli Zo--SScletdlS Lansing has f1atly denied the state ment made in New York by John Devoy editor of The Gaelic-Ame.i- can, that the information which en- abled the British government to frus~ trate German landing in Ireland and capture Sir Roger Easement was furnished to Great Britain by tEe Wilson administration.
 At the White House indignation was expressed over the statement of Devoy. No formal denial was made there, but unofficially the Devoy charge was declared to be absolutely untrue.
 It was not denied at the state de- Eartment, however: that this govern r0ent had information in regard to the revolutionary plottings of Sir Roger Easement. The inference drawn from what was said there by a responsible official was that this Information did not come to the de- partment until after Sir Roger Case ment had been captured, although before the announcement of the cap ture was made. This official explained that the United States government would not furnish any information of a military character to the British government unless 1t related to plots in this country in violation of Amer ;can neutrality. Information of plans made in Germany to invade Ireland, it was asserted. would not be communi- Cated to Great Britain.
 Will Devoy Be Prosecuted?
 Officials would not say whether the government would take any action on Editor Devoy's reported admission that he had been a party to the up- rising in Ireland, which in his case would constitute a violation of the neutrality laws They contented themselves with denying the state ment of Devoy that the administra- tion had furnished the British govern ment with the information which led to the capture of the Easement eN- petition. When Devoy's editorial to be published in the issue of The Gae- lic-American of April 29. in which he dared President Wilson to prosecute him and made charges against the personal character Of the president, was read to an official in a, position to know what the disposition of the administration would be in the mat ter, this official indulged in some caustic references to Editor Devoy, and then said that he had no idea whether any action would be taken against Devoy.
 Won Ige1 Clues of Little Value.
 From what was said at the state department the impression was creat- ed in some quarters that the depart ment's knowledge of the Easement expedition was drawn from the pa- pers taken from the New York office of Wolf Won Igel. an attache of the German embassy. now on ball to an- swer charges of attempting to blow LID the Welland Canal and other vio lations of the neutrality laws. A news paperman was informed, however, that the evidence furnished by the Von Igel papers of plans to cause revolutionary disturbances in Ireland was of a character that would have been of no benefit to the British government. But it was practically admitted that this government had some knowledge of the Easement plot, although not until after the expedition that landed in Ireland had been captured
 The Won Igel papers. it was else- where in a quarter having knowledge of their contents. showed that there was a sym pathetic movement among Irishmen in the United States for q revolt in Ireland in the interest of the German cause. but no definite plot such as cuIminated in the abor- tive Easement expedition was dis closed. The government appears to have had information, however, that an expedition was being organized, in Germany for the invasion of Ire land with the hope that it's landing would be followed by an uprising of the people, But according to those