The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-19
GERMANS BACK OF
 UPRISING
 TERRELL
Former Secretary Says That German Promises of As sistance Was at Bottom of Sim Fein Outbreak.
Knew Situation was Danger ous, But Believed Inter vention Would Precipitate Trouble, He Declares.

London, May 19.-Discussing the sit uation in Ireland in the House of Commons today, MT. Birren said:
 If the home rule bill had not been placed on the statute books there would have been a great explosion of rage and disappointment both in Ire- land and in tho United States, which, when war came, would have assumed alarming proportions. The events in Ulster and the gun-running at Larne by the Ulsterites in 1904 undoubtedly had an effect on disloyalists else where.n
 Ireland had preserved an unbroken front at the outbreak of the war through the patriotism of John Red were many who did not agree with his attitude. It was impossible to over estimate the effect which the advent of the Ulster leader, Sir Edward Car son, had exercised on the minds of the people of Ireland
 when it was seen that the war would be prolonged. MT. RrrelI said, Ireland soon developed not unreason- able expectations of a German land ing and promises of German assist ance were at the bottom1o of the out break.
 Answering Baron Hardinge, MT. Birren said:
 S51un Ee1n1SEn naQ spread all over the place. The Sim Feiners were sick of parliamentary parties and they desired to be left alone. real ized for two years certainly that there was a dangerous movement in Ire- land, but after consultation with the various Irish leaders came to the concfuston that a policy of non-inter- bodies Of volunteers were all over the place and if we could have got dis armament all round it would have been an infinite blessing but to dis arm any one section of the population on the evidence we had would have bedn a dangerous and doubtful propo- Eit1on.''
 answer this question, but why were the Irish leaders who advised you in this policy to be relied upon?''
 MT. Birrell: 'sIn the first place I had formed a pretty clear estimate of my own and don't think was ever much influenced by other people. But MT. Redmond. for example, always were negligible and he said so ia the House of Commons. I did not attach much importance to his opinion be- cause was quite sure they were dam gerous''
 Continuing. MT. Birren saidNhe had daily reports from the Royal Irish constabulary and these reports were of such a character that one could form q general estimate of the state Of feeling in the countryside.
 ''The state of feeling varied very much,s"'f he added. 'sH priest was am anti-Sinn Feiner,, Sim F'einism died out. but. if the priest was in favor Of it the movement was promoted. But in Dublin it was different. always felt that was very ignorant of what was going on in the cellars of DubEn and I was exceedingly nervous aboS1t that had heard that the castle was to be taken.
 s'steps were taken to deal with these reports but nothing came of them and I should be very curious to learn if anybody knew this thing was gomg to happen.
 "I had very decided views much 90 that I had conferences with Gener- als Kitchener and French on March 20 and March 27 to persuade them to send more soldiers to Dublin. I knew the people of Dublin should have evil dence that England still had soldiers and if soldiers with bayon cts and bands could be got to parade the streets of Dublin it would have had a great effect on the Sim Feiners.