The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-05
FRIENDS DEFEND
 SULLIvAN;; HOLD SPITE IN ARREST

New York, May b-Several Of James Mark Sullivan's friends in New York came forward yesterday to his defense when the news was cabled from London that the British author- ities had arrested him at Dublin be- cause of his alleged activities in be- half of the Irish rebellion. Joseph w. Gavan, a prominent Irish leader here, was one of these. and Jeremiah O'Leary was another.
 .sIt's an audacious piece of British sensationalism,' said MT. O'Leary, "a means of whacking at the Irish Americans, against whom they would they would have arrested me had happened to be in Ireland, or any other Irish-American on whom they could lay their hands,
 Mr. O'Leary was asked if he thought there was any ground for the British allegation that MT. Su1li- van had been implicated in the re- Sbellion. He replied that he did not think so.
 ssBut judging from MT. Sul1ivan's public utterances,'' said MT. O'Leary, sslae is republican. Furthermore, the British authorities know very well what MT. Sullivan's opinions are. That is undoubtedly their basis for arresting an American citizen who typifies the thought of Irish-Anerica toward the British government
 Denies SulIivan's Activity.
 saThe English government said MT. Gavan, s.is like a, blind man hit ting in the dark. It is going about in a hit or miss manner attempting to frighten the Irish people, but that it cannot do. MT. Sullivan has not been at all active in the Irish revolu- ton. else would have heard of him iS 6n moi believe been connected with the plot in any way. as have been in touch with the situation for months and his name has never been mentioned in connection with it.
 MT. Sullivan left for Ireland last Jufy two weeks before he was vir- tualIy asked to resign his post as United States minister to Santo Do mingo. His wife and son accompan- jed him, and upon sailing he said that he was going back to Limerick to visit his mother He had expected to return last September.
 Mr. Sullivan, who was born in Kill larney on Jan. 6. 1873, came to this country when 8 boy and was brought up in Brooklyns He studied law at vale and began practising in Con nectfcut. Later he came to New york During the Rosenthal nur- der case he was counsel for Bald lack Rose. HIS appO1lbAACAAb |o SAAO post in Santo Domingo was in return for political services
 Favored by Bryan.
 At the time it was said that Will fam J. Bryan was responsible for the anpointment A few weeks after taking office Sullivan was charged with favoring certain relatives in con-. tracts, among whom were Timothy #. Sullivan of Springfield, Mass.
 MT. Bryan came to Sullivan's as- sistance, ridiculing the charges. and iJ. Franklin Fort, at the Presidents request, investigated the charges and reported that they were unfounded- I.aterfthe charges were renewed talk ing on a more serious aspect, and Sullivan resigned his post two weeks before a subsequent report was to be made by Senator Phelan of Califor- mia
 Sullivan is known to have been in terested in Irish affairs. When King ! George " visited Ireland in 1911, after his coronation he attended a meeting at the grave of Wolfe Tone, the Irish patriot. Sullivan was pres ent and spoke. His topic on that oc- casion was "Republicanism."