The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-19

ing the leaders as a foreign enemy continued Sir Matthew. had decided upon their arrest and were discussing the matter on April "A. when the re- bellion broke out. He defended the failure to disarm the volunteers on the ground that such action might have allenated many loyal volunteers and added: There are 25,0oO Irish Catholics en- listed in the army"
 The Royal Irish constabulary was considered strong enough ito cope with olsorders, the witness said. A mobile Iorce or 500 mounted men and 2O00 others with machine guns was always Tn readiness and these with 250O men rom the Curragh were thought cap aole or dealing with the outbreak in Dupiln, but they were insufficient
 SIT Matthew declared that the fear that the military service act would be applied to Ireland induced a number of the na- tionai volunteers to join the Sim Fein movement so that there were 16,00O hos ule volunteers throughout Ireland. of whom 5000 were in Dublin
 MONEY FROM AMERICA
 Considerable sums, he said had been coming from America, the funds being used for the purchase of arms and the printing of seditious pamphlets and leaf lep It was estimated he added that &l6,OO0 had been received from America and paid into Dublin banks from the inid- dle of September, 1914, to the following April, when the money was withdrawn. Alter that it was not found possible to trace methods of the receipts in Ireland of money from the United States.
 The police estimated before the out break that the volunteers had about 100 rifles, pistols and other firearms and that there were S25 rifles in Dublin. Explo- sives had also been found in different parts of the country, he said.
 Steps had been taken, continued Sir Matthew, to deal with the movement be- fore the insurrection by volunteers pre- venting civil servants from belonging to the Irish volunteers and by stopping this organization from becoming a military one by cutting off supplies of arms and ammunition.
 Until three days before the outbreak of the rebellion, Sir Matthew testified, there had been no proof of any connec- tion of any anti-British party in Ireland with a foreign enemy. A memorandum which was said to be in the possession of one of the leaders with pro-German sentiments, he added, stated that the Ger mans contemplated a combined offensive by land, sea and air in orGer to secure victory before May and requesting the Irish volunteers to render their promised assistance.
 WANTED TO START
 On March IS, the witness stated, young Irish volunteers were anxious to com mence operations, but the heads of the movement were against a rising at that moment, Thomas MacDonagh declaring that it would be sheer madness to attempt any such thing if the help promised were not forthcoming.
 Baron Hardinge asked Sir Matthew why no action had been taken to prevent drilling under arms. af
 we deterred because we were afraid to enforce the act" said Sir Matthew We deterred practically for political purposes"
 When asked what action had been taken to report this to the then chief secretary for Ireland, Augustine Birrell Sir Matthew declared the chief secretary was fully aware of it.
 The witness also admitted that he knew women were being trained to look after wounded men and that sham fights for the taking of Dublin castle were be- ing held. These facts, he said. also were known to the chief secretary. He did not think at the time of the sham fights that they might be followed at some sub sequent time by a real attack on the castle Baron Hardinge said he assumed from the testimony that it had been de- cided not to interfere unless there should be an actual outbreak.
 Sir Matthew replied:
 Tt was thought that forcible interfer- ence would certainly lead to bloodshed and that if affairs were let alone they might blow over without bloodshed.'