The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-20
Birrcll Says War Minister
Wouldn't Pay Heed to
Warnings.
"NO SOLDIERS TO SPARE"
Useless to Call Attention Of
Cabinet to Ireland. De-
clarcs Secretary.
Spfciai Cdbie Despdfch TO TRE SrN


circumstances preceding and surround
ing the recent Irish revolutionary out
break. Augustine Birrell. former Chief
Secretary for ireland, to-day placed the
bulk Of the blame for the rebellion
sUuarely upon the shoulders OF Secre-
tary for War Kitchener. Mr.. Birrell
stated that as far back as March 20
and 81 he had had conferences with the
War Secretary and with Gen. Sir John
French. commander OF the British home
send more soldiers to Ireland. as the
Sim Fein movement looked very serious
to him.
THE War OfYlce replied" testified Bir-
Tell. that they were very busy train
ing men. and that the men could not
be spared to be transferred to Ireland"
The witness said he tried vainly to
Impress Kitchener and Gen French that
the people Of Dublin should have evi.
dcnce that England still had soldiers.
and that II soldiers with bayonets and
bands could be got to parade the streets
OF Dublin 1t would have had great
eNcCt on the sim Feiners.
He added that the revolutionaries
would tnrn have known there was a
Il rec IN Dublin with which they would
have to contend
Lord Wlmborne. who resigned during
the rebellion as Lord Lieutenant of Ire
land under pressure. was OF the same
opinion as Mr.. Btrrell with regard to
the serouness Of the Sim Feiners' move
ment, the witness testified.
"WRs uneasy," Birrell Says.
When Sir Montague Sherman. "A mem
Der Of the commission. put the direct
question:
"lf the military authorities had acted
upon your advice. the results might not
have happened" the witness gave an
evasive answer, repeating that he had
been very uneasy about Dublin" and
adding but I did not anticira'e such
thing; nor do ! know anybody else
who did"
The uneasiness whereof he spoke, the
witness asserted. had been with him for
two years prior to the outbreak -----
Substantiating on the whole the testi.
mony given yesterday by the former
Under Secretary. Sir Matthew Nathan.
Mr.. Birrel told in detail of the numerous
and growing signs in Ireland fore
President. Lori Hardinge. or others OF
the commission asked him with uncon-
cealed astonishment why nothing had
been done TO check the omnous asita-
ton. he said invariably that "non-inter-
vention was considered TO be the safest
policy indirectly corroborating yester-
days statements of his former assistant
that the Irish authorities feared blood
shed would result from Interference with
the rebels.
incidentally the witness illustrated the
tremendous political effect OF the placing
on the statute books OF the home rule
bill in 1914, not long before the out
break OF the European war. This event.
according to Mr.. B!rrell's view, came 10
pass in "A truly psychological moment"
Home Rule n Factor.
"If the home rule hill had not been
placed on the statute books" the witness
said there would have been great
explosion of rage and disappointment mt
both in Ireland and In the United states
which, when war came. would have as
sumed alarming proportions. The events
In Ulster and the gun running at Larne
( by the tlsterites in 1914 undoubtedly
had a great effect on disloyalists else
where"
T"IuhHs reaching, HtCOTuUR 10 MT
! Brrell was the effect OF the entry OF
Sir Edward Carson. the Ulsterite leader
. into the Cabinet, "A step which Birrel
said exercised an influence upon the
minds OF the people of Ireland that could
not be ovcrestimated
Mr.. Birrcll then spoke of John Red.
mond. That the Nationalist leader II hs
had accepted office In the same Cabinet
would have forfeited his leadership Of the
Irish party was the view OF the witness
Mr.. Brrell paid unqualified tribute to tho
patriotism of Redmond. to whom. he held
it was due that Ireland maintained ar
unbroken front at the outbreak Of the
war
As for Redmonds Judgment of tn,
! Sim Fen movement, however, Mr. Br
rcll did not speak In very fattcrinl
terms. In fact. he said he attached n,
/ importance To Redmond's views on thai
subject Redmond. he explained, hat
always maintained the Sim Fein move
ment was negligible, while he the wit
ness) had always been quite sure 1t wa.
very dangerous especially so In view o.
! the fact that there were armed bOdie,
/ of volunteers "all over the place.
Again asked why no steps were taker
! to disarm these. Brrell repeated tha
only "A general disarmament would hav,
, done any good, while makesh!ft measures
| would have provoked serious trouble.
milan AunInst Dlsa rn, N, ent