New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-23
Boyd and Won Papen
Plotted with Irish
Sympathizers.
BERLIN AGREED
TO INVADE ENGLAND
Failure Made Sure by Lukewarm
Germans, Says British His
tory of Uprising.

London, May 9.--This is the history
as told by the authorities here of the
! widespread plot which resulted in the
Inflated uprising in Ireland. Ii shows
that the Sim Fein organization was
used as a pawn by Berlin and certain
Germans and revolutionists in America,
and that the failure Of the revolt was
made doubly sure by the inability or
disinclnation Of Germany TO carry out
important features OF the plan at al
most the last moment.
The plot had it's inception soon after
the beginning of the war, when certain
Irishmen and German authorities con-
ceived the idea of utilizing the Sim
Fein organization for a revolt.
At that time the Sim Feiners, who
really had organized because Of jeal-
ousy of the Nationalist Volunteers,
probably had no definite idea Of start
ing a revolt They accepted the plan,
however, and eventually fell victims to
a scheme which was not of their own
making.
The name Of Sir Roger Easement ap-
pears prominently throughout the
story.
Berlin Agreed TO Invasion.
Sir Roger went from America TO
Christiania late in 1914 under an as
sumed name, and thence to Berlin.
Concident with his arrival in Berlin
certain officials placed their influence
and guarantees Of assistance back of
an Irish rebellion.
According to this account, Germany
agreed to furnish money, arms and
men to assist the Sim Feiners, and,
most important of all. is said to have
agreed to an invasion of England,
which would prevent soldiers being
sent into ireland by the British War
Department.
America was made the medium OF
communication between Berlin and
Ireland. Ce:tain lrishmen in the
United States enlisted their services,
and Captains Boyd and Won Papen,
the then German naval and military
attaches, respectively, at Washington,
together with numerous others, some
Of whom are now under arrest in
America, are said to have done their
part in furthering the plans. The
carrying of funds and informe tion 10
the Sim Feiners was done largely by
Irish sympathizers in America, who
were able to visit their home land
without question.
Then came the recruiting of some
Irish soldiers in German prison camps
and haphazard plotting until Novem-
Der, 1915. Then there was a lull. The
revolutionary wind, which had blown
so hot from Berlin at first, was then
getting cool.
Agent Sent from America.
Finally, those persons in the United
States who we're taking a part in the
engineering Of the revolution became
weary of waiting for developments and
sent man to see Easement. This
man, an Irishman and British sub
ject living in America, proceeded di-
rect TO Germany. He brought word
that a debate date for the uprising
must be set. Either Easter or Easter
Monday was fixed upon.
As the time drew near il was seen
that a revolution could not be made a
success, and the idea Of an invasion
was virtually discarded. This fact was
not known to the Sim Feiners until
about the moment before the fighting
started. However, certain Berlin Off
Gals had given their word TO assist
the movement, and decided to satisfy
the obligation so far as possible with
out heavy loss of life or war material.
IL was proposed to dispatch a ship
TO ireland with arms and those Irish
soldiers who had agreed TO fight A
naval attack on the east coast of Eng
/ land and air raids also were settled
upon TO divert the attention of the
British authorities from ireland.
The ship, with some twenty thousand
arms, did start from Mel for Tralee,
/ on the western coast of Ireland, but it
was manned by German crew and
/ did not carry the Irish recruits. When
] Sir Roger found that the plan for an
/ invasion of England had fallen through
| he refused to let his followers en-
/ bark, declaring that it would be sheer
/ murder. He did agree TO &C himself,
/ however, and departed on the sub
marine.
/ The story of the sinking of the ship
| Of arms, capture of Easement and col
/ lapse Of the rebellion has been told
0