New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-05-25
U. S. HEADQUARTERS
FOR Irish REBELS,
IS BRITISH CLAIM
America Central Point for In
trigue to Land German
Troops and Munitions
UPRISING FAILED FOR
LACK OF HUN SUPPORT

England Publishes Detailed Statement
Concerning Alleged Conspiracy Be-
tween Sim Fein and Berlin-Deyoy,
Bcrnstorff, Won Papen, zimmerman
and Irish Priest, An American
Citizen, Named as Principals.
yI,ondon, May 25.-Germany's un-
firing efforts to foment revolution IN
ireland with aid of the Sim Fein are
laid bare in a statement from the Of
fetal press bureau reviewing this
phase OF the Irish political situation
since the beginning of the war.
After the abortiVe rebellion of
Easter week, 1916, plans were made
for a revolt in 1917, but this mis-
carried because of Americas entry
into the war and Germany's inability
to send troops to Ireland. An upris-
Ing in Ireland was planned for this
year after tho great offensive in the
west had been successful and when
Great Britain presumably would be
stripped of troops.
Concerning the recent arrests i'll
Ireland the statement says that facts
End documents, for obvious reasons,
cannot be disclosed at this time, nor
can the means of communication be-
tween Germany and ireland.
One phase of every plan called for
the establishment of submarine bases
in Ireland. In the present circum-
stances, it is added, no other course
was open to the government. If use
less bloodshed was to be avoided and
.its duties to its allies fulfilled, but to
intern the authors and abettors OF
this criminal intrigue
Official Statement.
The statement from the press bu
reau follows:
Al. 4Ehe-re1o Oh tio ass asssss slalGyenlent in
Ireland which eliminated in the az
rest of a considerable number of per-
sons last week consisted of two close
ly related series Of activities.
"(a) Attempts by the German gov
ernment to fomcnt rebellion in Ire
land, and (b) preparations made in
Ireland to carry these attempts into
action. The story of the active con-
nection between the leaders of the
Sim Fein movement and the Ger
mans as disclosed by documents in
possession of the British government
falls into tive parts--the period prior
to and the period following the ab-
ortive rebellion of Easter, 1916.
'"The events of the first period can
be told in some detail, but the second
period, which concerns recent events,
permits of no more than q summary,
as a full statement on the facts and
documents in possession of the gov
ernment would disclose the names of
persons who stood by the government
and also the channels of communlca-
ton through which the German gov
ernment was acting and which 1t
would not be in the public interest to
reveal at present.
''The story begins as early in the
war as November 6, 1914, when Herr
zimmerman transmitted through
Count Won Bernstorf a message from
Sir Roger Easement Cater captured in
Ireland and eXecuted) asking that q
messenger. a native born American, if
possible. be sent to Ireland with word
that everything was favorable. He
was to carry no letter for fear of ar
rest. Easement also. asked that an
Irish priest should be sent to Ger
many with assistance of the German
legation in Norway to work in prison
camps to corrupt Irish prisoners of
war. This priest was q certain Father
John T. Nicholson, an American cltl-
zen of Irish birth. He reached Ger
many safely and we find him, IN jan
uary, 1915, transmitting messages to
America.
According to a report of Captain
Won Papen German military attache
in Washington dated December o.
1914 verbal assurances were sent in
Sc. o-+ hat
excellent impression had been pro-
duced in Ireland. In the bginnpg OF
1916 the plot ripened and on February
10 of that year Count Won Bernstorff
sent to a covering address in Rotter-
dam q dispatch signed with the name
of Skal, one of his principal American
agents.
Dewey Feared Result of Delay.
'"rhe dispatch included an extract
from the report of John Dewey, head
of the Clan-na- Gael, to the effect that
action in Ireland could not be post
poned much longer since he feared
arrests of leaders. It had been de-
cided, he said, to begin action on
Easter Saturday and he urged that
arms and munitions be in Limerick by
that date.
Later in the same month Won
Bernstorff, following his usual prac-
tice, surreptitiously attached to a
message to Berlin passed by the
American government a note fixing
Easter Saturday for the rising anG
urging dispatch Of munitions in time
on March 4, Won Jagow (Germar
foreign rninister) replied that the arms
would be landed in Tralee Bay and
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