Republican farmer., 1918-05-31

period, Wh1ch concerns recent events, permits of no more than a summary as full statement on the facts and documents in possession of the gov ernment would disclose the names If persons who stood by the government, also the channels of communication through which the German govern ment was acting and in which It reveal at present.
 The story begins as early in the war as Nov. s, 1914, when Herr Zim- merman transmitted / through Count von Bernstorff a message from Sir Roger Easement Qater captured in Ireland and executed) asking that a m essenger, a native born American. if possible be sent to Ireland with word that everything was favorable. He was to carry no letters for fear of Grrest. Easement also asked that an Irish priest should be sent to Ger many with the assistance of the Ger man legation in Norway to work in prison camps to corrupt Irish prison CTS of war. This priest was a cer- tain Father John T. Nicholson, an American citizen of Irish birth. He reached Germany safely and we find him in January, 1915, transmitting messages to America.
 After the abortive rebellion of Eas- ter week, 1916, plans were made for a revolt in 1917, but this miscarried be cause of Americas entry to the war and Germany's inability to send troops to Ireland. An uprising in Ireland was planned for this year after the German offensive in the west had been successful and when Great Brit ain presumably would be stripped of troops.
 Concerning the recent arrests in Ire land, the statement says that facts and documents, for obvious reasons, cannot be disclosed at this time, nor ran 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, 1t is added, no other cours; was open to the government If use less bloodshed was to be avoided and its duties to its allies fulfilled, but tc intern the authors and abettors oi this criminal intrigue"
 The statement from the press bu- reau follows:
 The revolutionary movement in Ireland which eliminated in the ar rest of considerable number Of per sons last week consisted of two close ly related series of activities: A) At tempts by the German government tt Toment rebellion in Ireland, and (o. preparations made in Ireland to carr1 these attempts irto action. The story of the active connection between tho leaders of the Sim Fein movement and the Germans, as disclosed by doc uments in possession of the British government, falls into two parts---th' period prior to and the period since the abortive Irish rebellion of Easter 1916.
 According to a report of Capt. vol Papen German military attache Il Washington dated Dec. 5, 1914, yer bal assurances were sent in respons to Easements request that an excel lent impression had been produced il Ireland. In the beginning of 1916 tn plot ripened and on Feb. 10 of tha " covering address in Rotterdam a dis patch signed with the name of Skal one of his principal American agents
 '"The dispatch included an extrac from the report of John Devoy, hea of the Clan Nagael, to the effect tha action in Ireland could not be post poned much longer since he feare' the arrest of the leaders. It had bee1 decided, he said, to begin action O. Easter Saturday and he urged tha arms and munitions be in Limeric, by that date.
 Later in the same month vo Bernstorff, following his usual prac tice,- surreptitiously attached to
 message to Berlin passed by tn American government a note fxin Easter Saturday for the rising an urging the dispatch of munitions time. On March 4 von NJagow Ger man foreign minister) replied that tn arms would be landed in Tralee ba and asked that the necessary arrange ments be made in Ireland throug Devoy On March IA can Bernstor replied that the Irish agreed and tn; ANii details were being sent to Irt land by messenger.
 | "The next day von Bernstorff tell graphed the code to be used betwee the Germans and the rebels whi the arms were in transit and explain ed that a submarine might safely el ter Dublin bay and go as far Pigeon House without encounteriI nets.
 "On March 26 von Jagow replit that the arms would be sent and tn a special code word would be ust every night as the introduction to u German wireless press service In message from von Bernstorff to Be lin the Germans were assured tn there were numerous private wirele receiving stations in Ireland.
 "On April IS and April 19 urge
 messages were sent from America
 Berlin fixing the delivery of arms the evening of Easter Sunday, pre-: ing for the landing of German troo
 and asking for an air raid on En
 land and a naval attack on the En nsh coast. These attacks actual
 Dok place between April 24 and 26
 "It was declared to be the hope
 the rebels and their German a
 American friends to blockade Fri
 ports against England and establi
 bases in Irelasd for German sr
 marines.
 "The rebellion broke out a
 later than scheduled, on Easter Mo
 day, April "A, but, as the world
 aware, German support miscarri
 and it ended in complete failure. T