Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-09-09

he said. "The question OF the use of .
force against the enemy is purely one 7
Of eXpediency." lie declined to dis /
cuss his relations. If any, with the !
Germans. but said. like de Valera, II .
am not pro-German. But Germany |
is the enemy OF England. and Eng |
land is my enemy You may draw |
your own conclusions"
How do you get money from |
American" l asked de Valera. We |
have our ways" he answered |
evasively.
Sim Fcin Has Strong Hold.
A stranger has only to walk the |
streets OF Dublin half an hour to learn |
what an extraordinary hold the Sim |
Fein propaganda has upon the mass
o. the population. The Nationalist /
party. one is told by members OF all !
factions. Is practically dead. Joseph /
Devlin. the Ulster Nationalist leader. /
told me that II an election were held |.
tomorrow the Nationalists would lose
half their seats to Sim Fein. The
Sim Feiners themselves claim they
would win every Nationalist seat in
Ireland away from the Redmondites
and gain several constituencies now
Unionist.
Meanwhile the convention. which
Is repudiated by Sim Fein. is in ses-
sion, and Orangemen and National
lists are coming together to meet the
common menace OF anarchy and civil
war which they believe the Sim Fem
program holds in store for the coun-
try II the Republican party secures
control.
| 1t seems strange to hear counsels
OF moderation and appeals for law
and order from the Ulster and Ma
tionalist factions which three years
ago were marching troops about and
| threatening war to the knife. But
there was a good deal Of bluff in the
Carson military preparations, and in
the counter preparations south of the
Boyne. and most moderate Irishmen
are aware that there Is no bluff about
Sim Fein. The present leaders have
| gone up on the roof" as they say
in Dublin, against the whole might OF
| the British empire once, and they say
with engaging frankness that. if they
cannot obtain. complete independence
In any other way they intend to do
so again.
Arms Struggled From Germany.
Since the suppression of the Dublin
revolt, which was planned to extend
all over the country. but went off
at half-cock, 1t seems probable from
all | can learn that arms have been
smuggled to the Sim Feiners from
Germany by means OF cargo subma-
rines. which put In lonely bays or
the almost deserted west coast. This
Is widely believed to be true in Dub
lin. l have been assured by promi.
nent members of the convention that
they know of German arms imported
in this manner. The Sim Fein lead
ers themselves, with all their remark
able Willingness to discuss their plans
In 20 oil
whether Hindenburg is helping them
out with rifles or machine guns.
hand grenades. flame throwers or
cylinders of poison gas weapons, all
Of which figure in Dublin rumor.
Ireland is under martial law There
is something comic in the Sim Fein
complaints of militarism and oppres-
sion against the British method of
handling the situation here. l dis
cussed the situation briefly with Gen.
Sir Bryan Mahon. commander-in-
forces in ireland. but am not at lin
erty to quote him. Two illustrations
will show to what extremes the au-
thorities are going in their desire not
to provoke the Sim Feiners.
Thru the first two days of the con-
vention no British flag was flying in
central Dublin. But a block away
from the convention hall some Irish
Barbara Freitche had flung to the
breeze a Republican flag OF red.
green and white. 1t fluttered over
the heads of the delegates as they
walked to their deliberat tons No at
| tempt was made to remove IL.
Griffith Defiant.
over the front of the building oc'
cupied since his release from his life
sentence for treason by Arthur Grif-
fifth at Harcourt street are stretched
! In large brass letters the words, Sim
Fein bank" and Mr. Griffith and his
friends there edit and publish the Of
fetal organ of Sim Fein now called
Nationality" which continues its
propaganda with a certain regard for
the censorship, but no concealment
of its sentiments and aims.
Only one grievance against the
martial law now enforced in Ireland
can be expressed against the castle
authorities today that was not avail
able before the Dublin revolt. The
Sim Fen soldiers are no longer al
lowed to drill in the streets dig
trenches in the city parks or rehearse
undsturbed their planned attacks on
Dublin castle and other strategic
points. as they did in the early months
of 1915.
| The facts about Sim Fein appear
to be that II is led by the survivors
of the leaders OF the Easter week
rebellion, that 1t Is spreading Its or
ganization all over southern Ireland
and gaining support at an alarming
rate. that its principal doctrine is the
use of force to obtain national inde-
pendence and that IL repudiates any
thing short OF a complete separation
from the British empire.
1t was to obtain from the leaders
some explanation OF the policy and
program OF Sim Fein that I went to
them. Arthur Griffith ] found in his
l'ice on the second floor OF the
Sim Fein Bank building. It has not
been many days since he was released
from his, life sentence for treason: II
is said that ne owes his life to the
fact that, at the last moment, he
tried to prevent the rebellion. He
talked to me with cold passion about
England. quoting broken agreements
and atrocities and acts of extortion
extending over past centuries. do
you not" I asked. make anv dis
tinction between the Tory and Liberal
mn rfiac N En- n0land or do Won not ad-