Evening star., 1918-05-25
Again Ask German Aid.

Again ASK 0erHdQ A1C.
1T became clear very soon after the
rising that the Sim Fein leaders again
were asking Germany for help. On June
Washington referring to a 259 of May
g. a message which is missing. and say
ing that Germany was perfectly ready
to give further help if the Irish only
would say what sort of help they re-
quired.
''On June 16 Won Bernstorff already
had sent dispatch giving an account
of the rebellion as far as his in
formation went, and stating that
Ell 900 had been provided for the
defense of Easement. On July 25 he
sent a long message giving further
news from Ireland and explaining
that the work of Seorganizing the
rebels was making good progress,
and that their lack of money had
been remedied by him.
On September g.. in a dispatch to
Berlin, he inclosed memorandum
from person called the Irish revo-
luton director resident in America.
which contained detailed proposals
for fresh rising. Any rising. said
the Irish revolution director. must be
contingent upon the sending by Ger
many of an expedition with sufficient
military force to cover landing.
ION this occasion the German gov
ernment was to fix the time and as
an inducement the advantage of hav-
ing submarine and Zeppelin bases in
west Ireland was insisted upon. You
Bernstorff evidently was having diff
Guilty with his tools, for on October
"a he warned his government not to
allow certain Capt. Boohm. then
resident of Rotterdam. to write to
Irishmen in America. since his letters
were apt to go to the wrong people
Later Capt. Boohm was arrested by
US in British waters
Irish Press for Answer.
I'VE again find Won Bernstorff on
December attaching a note surrep-
titiously to message passed by the
American government, in which he
mentioned that the Irish leaders in
America were pressing for an answer
seems to have followed this on
Christmas day with a message which
is missing. for on the last day Of 1916
Foreign Secretary Zimmerman in
formed him Of Quantities of muni-
tions which 1t was proposed to land
between February 81 and %. 1917
He added that it was impossible to
send German troops.
"On January IS. 1917, Bernstorn
replied that his Irish committee de-
clined the proposal. as without Ger
man troops rising would be useless
Communication Broken.
after Americas entrance into the
war. in April. 1917. the line of COM
munication between the German gov
ernment and the leaders of the Sim
Fein party was broken temporarily,
though there was no reason to be-
lieve that the messenger service be-
tween America and Ireland, devised
by John Dewey. was affected
"A clue to the new line of comrn,r.
nication was obtained subsequently
and has been followed up actively
The effect of this new line in Ireland
is visible in the speeches of the Sim
Fein leaders during this period
For example, Prof De Valera. ad-
dressing the convention Of the Irish
volunteers on October %. 1917, said:
BY proper organization and recruit
ing we could have 50O,0 fighting vol
unteers in Ireland That would be a
and means for fighting it could only
be used as a menace. There already
has been too much bloodshed without
success and I would never advoca te
another rebellion without hopeful
chances of success. We can see no
through German invasion of England
and the landing of troops and NUM-
tfons in Ireland. We should be pre-
pared to leave nothing undone toward
that end.
Friendly to Germany.
"On another occasion in January of
this year De Valera said:
LAS long as Germany is the enemy
Of England and England is the enemy
of Ireland. so long will Ireland be a
| friend of Germany
For some considerable time it was
difficult to obtain accurate information
as to German-Sinn Fein plans, but
about April. 1913. 1t was ascertained
definitely that plan for landing arms
in Ireland was ripe for execution, and
that the Germans only awaited definite
information from Ireland as to the
time. place and date.
The British authorities were able
/ to warn the Irish command regarding
the probable landing of an agent OF
Germany from a submarine. The
agent actually landed on April IL and
was arrested.
THE new rising depended largely
upon the landing of munitions from
submarines. and there Is evidence to
show that 1t was planned to follow a
successful German offensive in the
west. and was to take place at a
I