The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-05-25
HUNS ASSISTED
Sim FEINERS
REBEL ATTEMPT
from Page one.)

been successful and when Great Brit
ain presumably would be stripped of
troops.
Concerning the recent arrests in Ire
land, the statement says thai facts
and 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 circun-
stances, it is added, no other course
was open to the government IF use
less bloodshed was to be avoided and
it's duties to its allies fulfilled, but to
intern the authors and abettors of
this criminal intrigue"
The statement from the press bu-
reau follows:
1.-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: az AT
tempts by the German government to
foment rebellion in Ireland, and CD
preparations made in Ireland to carry
of the active connection between the
leaders of the Sim Fem movement
and the Germans, as disclosed by doc
uments in possession of the British
government, falls into two parts---the
period prior to and the period since
the abortive Irish rebellion of Easter,
1916.
According to a report of Capt. Won
Papen German military attache in
Washington dated Dec. 5, 1914, YER
bal assurances were sent in response
to Easements request that an excel
lent impression had been produced in
Ireland. In the beginning of 1915 the
plot ripened and on Feb. 10 of that
year Count Won Bernstorf sent to a
covering address in Rotterdam a dis
patch signed with the name of Skal,
one of his principal American agents.
1.-THE dispatch included an extract
from the report of John Dewey, head
of the Clan Nagael to the effect that
action in Ireland could not be post
poned much longer since he feared
the arrest of the leaders. 1t had been
decided, 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 note fixing
Easter Saturday for the rising and
urging the dispatch of munitions in
A To- I INOy-
man foreign minister) replied that the
arms would be- landed in Tralee bay
and asked that the necessary arrange
ments be made in Ireland through
Dewey. On March IA can Bernstorf
replied that the Irish agreed and that
full details were being sent to Ire
land by messenger.
1.-THE next day Won Bernstorff tele-
graphed the code to be used between
the Germans and the rebels while
the arms were in transit and explain
ed that submarine might safely en-
ter Dublin bay and go as far as
Pigeon House without encountering
nets.
ION March 26 Won Jagow replied
that the arms would be sent and that
special code word would be used
every night as the introduction to the
German wireless press service In a
message from Won Bernstorff to Ber-
lin the Germans were assured that
there were numerous private wireless
receiving stations in Ireland.
ION April IS and April 10 urgent
messages were sent from America tC
Berlin fixing the delivery of arms for
the evening of Easter Sunday, press
ing for the landing of German troops
and asking for an air raid on Eng
land and naval attack on the Eng
lish coast. These attacks actually
took place between April "a and rs.
at was declared to be the hope of
the rebels and their German and
American friends to blockade Irish
ports against England and establish
bases in Irelasd for German sub
marines.
1.-THE rebellion broke out a day
later than scheduled, on Easter Mon
day, April "a, but, as the world is
aware, German support miscarried
and it ended in complete failure. The
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
long time known to have been sup
piled with money through Irish
| American societies. This was so stat
ed in public by John MacNeil (former
president of the Sim Fein) on Nov. s,
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.
ct became clear very soon after
| the rising that the Sim Fein leaders
again were asking Germany for help.
| On June II there was a message from
Berlin to Washington referring to
A 259, of May 6, a message which is
missing and saying that Germany
was perfectly ready to give further
help if the Irish only would say what
sort of help they required.
ION June 16 Won Bernstorff already
had sent a dispatch giving an &C
count Of the rebellion as far as his
Information went and stating thai
1000 pounds had been provided for
| the defense of Easement.
ION Sept. 8 in a dispatch to Ber-
lin he enclosed memorandum from
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 mill.
tary force to cover landing