Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-05-21
HINT US. INFORMED
BRITAIN OF IRISH PLOT
England Got News From
'Friendly Country Which
Exposed Earlier Plots
Special Cable TO Ercning Public Ledger

Special Cable TO Erening Public Ledger
Dublin, May IL
/ believe the number of arrests ef-
feCted in connection with the Sim F'ein
activities very nearly exhausts the num-
ber resolved upon. \ few may remain
to be carried out, but not many. Each
arrest is a separate direct act Of the
Irish Executive in Dublin and is not
the consequence Of any discretion left
to the local police.
The arrests have nothing whatever TO
do with the Conscription act or with the
antiConsCription agitation. They have
nothing whatever to do with the Sim
F'ein as such, or with scditious speeches.
Some Of the persons arrested are prob
ably not Sim F'enerS and | should be
surprised TO learn that seditiouS speeches,
which undoubtedly have been delivered
here. had even been examined or con-
sidered before the decision was taken to
arrest tho men and women who are now
/ prisoners.
All Suspected Of Treachery
Every arrest made or vet to he made
probably not more than seventy all told.
. is wholly and solely grounded upon sus-
picion of treaCherOuS communication
| with the enemy. Rumor has it that tell
| tale papers were found upon men who
! were captured some time ago in col
/ lapsihle boat off Kingston and in an
other boat off Kerry. but however that
may be, | venture to guess that some
! thing more definite than these spectral
papers found it's way to the British Gov
| ernment from a friendly country which
! had the good fortune to expose earlier
plots against the Allies, always in the
| nick of time.
And what will now become of the
arrested suspects every one will ask.
| | believe that they will not be court
martialed and will not be brought to
public trial. The measure is Virtu-
| ally complete in respect of the per"
sons affected. and it is complete also in
respect of the amount of their liberty
and safety affected. My present in
! formation satisfies me that the Gov
ernment will scrupuloualy abstain from
giving any excuse for disorders
Arrests a War Measure
The arrests are a war measure taken
under the Defense of the Realm reg
ulations. and they do not even imply
revival of coercion under the old
coercion act in force in respect of some
| of its clauses.
Two other items of news are that the
| Lord Lieutenant. who had already
| visited the races and the theatre. opened
the Whitsuntide Fair Of the Red Cross
| in a brief ceremonial speech and was
very well received by the large as
sembly. and that seven members of the
American Labor Mission have arrived in
Dublin for a short visit, which is to be
confined to the city.
AS far as my present informa tion
goes there has been no disturbance in
connection with Friday nights and later
events. and provided the existence of a
plot for the landing of German troops
can be established the Irish people will
not be tie last to recognize the prudence
of circumNenting it by putting under
restraint those who may reasonably be
suspected of promoting it on this side
These. l think, are reflections that ac-
count for the eminently sober spirit in
which the arrests are regarded here.