Republican farmer., 1918-05-31

lnce the beginning of the war. [ report of the royal commission on the rebellion in Ireland says:
 "It is now a matter of common notoriety that the Irish volunteers had been in communication with the authorities in Germany and were for i long time known to have been sup piled with money through Irish American societies. This was 50 stat ed in public by John MacNeil (former president of the Sim Fein) on Nov. 8, l 1914. It was suspected long before the outbreak that some of the money came from German sources The evidence on this subject in possession of the British government provides the clearest proof of these suspicious. Tt became clear very soon after the rising that the Sim Fein leaders again were asking Germany for help. On June IT there was a message from
 Berlin to Washington referring to
 A 259, of May $, a message which IS
 missing and saying that Germany was perfectly ready to give further | sort of help they required.
 "On June 16 von Bernstorff already
 had sent a dispatch giving an ac- l count of the rebellion as far as his l Information went and stating that
 1000 pounds had been provided for
 the defense of Easement.
 "On Sept in a dispatch to Der | ha
 a person called the Irish revolution
 director resident in America which
 contained detailed proposals for a
 fresh rising. Any rising, said the
 Irish revolution director, must be con-
 tingent on the sending by Germany
 of an expedition with sufficient mili-
 tary force to cover a landing
 "On this occasion the German gov
 ernment was to fix the time and as
 an inducement, the advantage of hay
 ing submarine and Zeppelin bases in
 West Ireland was insisted upon.
 'On the last day of 1916 Foreign
 Secretary Zimmerman informed vor
 Bernstorff of quantities of munitions which it was proposed to land be-
 tween Feb. 21 and 25, 1917. He
 added that it was impossible to send
 German troops.
 "On Jan. IS, 1917, Bernstorff re.
 piled that his Irish committee declin.
 ed the proposal as without German
 troops a rising would be useless.
 After Americas S entrance to ths war in April 1917, the line of com
 munication between the German gov
 ernment and the leaders of the Sinr Fein party was broken temporarily
 though there was no reason to giv. that the messenger between Ameri ca and Ireland, devised by John De voy, was affected.
 "A clue to the new line of commu-
 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 Sinr Fein leaders during this period.
 For some considerable time it was difficult to obtain accurate informa- ton as to the German Sim Feir . plans, but about April. 1918, it was ascertained definitely that a plan fol - landing arms in Ireland was ripe fol l execution and that the Germans only awaited definite information from Ire t land as to the time, place and date. The British authorities, were abls to warn the Irish command regarding , the probable landing of an agent O. !. Germany from a submarine. Th' t agent actually landed on April 12 anC l was arretsed.
 t The new rising depended largel! = on the landing of munitions from sub l marines and there is evidence t l show that it was planned to follow ; I successful German offensive in th t west and was to take place at tim \ when Great Britain presumably woult
 be stripped of troops.
 n According to documents found ol = his person De Valera had worked ou a in great detail the constitution of hi e rebel army. He hoped to be able t 2 muster 800, 900 trained men. There i d evidence that German munitions ac n tually had been shipped on subma - rines from Ct1xhaven in the beginnini e of May and that for some time Ger V man submarines have been busy oi l. the western coast of Ireland on othe h errands than the destruction of Allie if shipping.
 if "It will thus be seen that the nego .- tiations between the executive of tn
 Sim Fein organization and German l. have been virtually continuous fo m three ard a half years
 Ie This year plans for another risin l. in connecton with the German offer ,- sive on tie western front were ma ,x turing and a new shipment of arm 10 from Germany was imminent.
 An important feature of every pla fl was the establishment of submarir ,t bases in Ireland to menace the sh1I .d ping of all nations
 'In N the circumstances no otht . course was open to the governmeI - if useless bloodshed was to be avo1de .. and it's duty to, the allies fulfilled o' Ae to intern the authors and abettors <
 this criminal intrigue"
 @ tc 1O6 Wounded Men