Evening star., 1918-05-22
BRITISH
GOVERNMENT ACTS
Dillon Declares 1t Has Served
German Interests in Ire
Iand-AppeaI to U. S.
SCORES / SINN FEINERS
By the Associated Press.

| DUBLIN, Tuesday. May 21.-An ap-
peal to all those of Irish blood in the
United States to support the national
list party as "the one party in Ireland
which is fighting for Irish liberty
without betraying the cause of lib
erty in other lands" was made today
by John Dillon, the nationalist leader,
! in an interview with the Associated
Press correspondent. Mr.. Dillon in
this interview denounced the policy
of the Sinh Fein, while arraigning
the methods which the British gov
ernment has pursued in dealing with
tention to the importance of the
American public being fully informed
of the Irish situation at the present
time Mr. Dillon said:
Would Poison q. s. Opinion.
1T is difficult to understand why
the government took action at this
particular moment and why in Lord
French's proclamation the alleged Ger
man plot should be mixed up with con-
scription, unless on the assumption
that the main purpose in mind of the
government just now is to poison
American opinion against the Irish
nation.
"The charge made in Lord French's
proclamation against the Sim Fein
prisoners is an extremely serious one,
and the method adopted by the gov
ernment is. so far as l know, unpre-
cedented in British history. They have
arrested and deported these men to
England without any definite charge
being made in legal form against them
and without any statement as to
whether it is intended to bring them
to trail or not. Meanwhile Ireland
waits for proof of the alleged pro-
German plot.
'sDo Work of Germany"
"For the last three years the British
government and Sir Edward Carson
have done the work of Germany in
Ireland more effectively than any
other agencies that I know of. Three
years ago Ireland was in the war
with as much enthusiasm as any OF
the allied nations and had sent to the
front full proportion of her people
as compared with Great Britain or
soldiers had been in the van of the
battle and the post of danger on every
one of the allies fronts.
"All that has been changed by what
Mr.. Lloyd George himself was
obliged to describe when minister of
war as stupidity amounting to malig
nifty on the part Of the war Office and
the government.
Situation Is Gloomy.
Now I admit that the situation in
Ireland is gloomy in the extreme. My
attention has been directed to state
ments that I and the Irish party of
which I am leader have adopted Sim
Sim Fein party. These statements
are utterly unfounded and false. So
far from that being the case I am
more than ever convinced that the
/ policy of the Sim Fein is wrong and
| foolish and bound to end in defeat
| and disaster.
Even during the last three weeks,
| while in the Mansion House confer
ence, the Sim Fein leaders cooper
ated with us in resisting the enforce
ment of conscription in Ireland by the
British parliament; they absolutely
continued to denounce US. because we
still believed in constitutional meth
ods-because we aim at settlement
based on full freedom and self-gov-
ernment for Ireland under a friendly
settlement with Great Britain, and
because we still adhere to the dec
laration Of John Redmond at the out
break OF the war and believe that the
cause of the allies is the cause OF
freedom throughout the world.
Sim Fein Get Aid in N. Y.
THE two great forces which have
been the root and cause of all of Ire
lands trouble in recent years have
been. on the one side, the stupidity
and insincerity Of the British govern
ment, which has absolutely refused
under the dictation Of Sir Edward
Carson. to apply in Ireland the prin-
ciples for which the allies are fight.
| limited financial resources supplied
to the Sim Fein from New York.
Therefore. 1 feel justified in max
ing an urgent appeal to all those OF
Irish blood in the United States to
support the one party in Ireland
which is fighting for Irish liberty
without betraying the cause of lib
erty in other lands"
More Taken to England.
A further consignment of Sim Fein
prisoners left Dublin today on the
way to England. The group was not
one of newly arrested persons. it was
stated, but merely a small number
who had been heretofore detained sat
local barracks. According to the local
newspapers. Count Plunkett was the
only prominent person in the party
There was no demonstration at the
dock. as the police had kept the ar
rangements for the prisoners depart
! ure secret.
The government net Is still spread
in hope of arresting other persons be-
lieved to be connected with the al