New Britain herald., 1918-05-25
U. S. HEADQUARTERS
FOR irish REBELS,
IS BRITISH CLAIM
Continued from First Page

made in Ireland through Dewey On
March IA Won Bernstorf replied that
the Irish agreed and that full details
were being sent to Ireland by mes
senger.
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 explained
that a submarine might safely enter
Dublin Bay and go as far as Pigeon
House without encountering nets.
con March 26 Won Jagow replied
that the arms would be sent and that
a special code word would be used
every night as the Introduction to the
German wireless press service. In a.
m essage from Won Bernstorff to Berlin
the Germans were assured that there
were numerous private wireless re-
ceiving stations in Ireland.
ION April Is and April 10 urgent
messages were sent from America to
Berlin fixing delivery of arms for the
evening of Easter Sunday, pressing
for the landing of German troops and
asking for an air raid on England and
naval attack on the English coast.
These attacks actually took place be-
tween April "a and April 26.
Hoped to Establish U-Boat Bases.
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 Ireland for German subma-
rinec.
The rebellion broke out a day la
ter than scheduled, on Easter Mon
A 10 ic
aware German support miscarried
and it ended in complete failure The
report of the royal commission on the
rebellion in Ireland states:
1t is now a matter of common
notoriety that the Irish volunteers
had been in communication with the
authorities in Germany, and for
long time known to have been sup
Piled with money through Irish Am
erican societies. This was so stated
in public by John MacNeil (former
president of the Sim Fein) on No
vember 8, 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 govern
ment provides the clearest proof of
these suspicious.
1T became clear very soon after
the rising that the Sim Fein leaders
again were asking Germany for help.
ION June IT there was a messag e
from Berlin to Washington referring
to "A 259 of May g. 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.
con June Is Won Bernstorff al
ready had sent a dispatch giving an
account of the rebellion as far as his
information went and stating that L.,
COO pounds had been provided for
the defense of Easement.
"On September 8, in a dispatch to
Berlin, he enclosed a memorandum
from a person called the Irish revo-
luton director resident in America
which contained detailed proposals
tor a fresh rising. Any rising, said
the, Irish revolution director must be
contingent upon sending by Ger
many of an expedition with sufficient
military force to cover a landing
ON this occasion the German gov
crnment was to fix the time and. as
an inducement, the advantage of hav-
ing submarine and Zeppelin bases in
West Ireland was insisted upon.
Could Not Send German Troops.
con the last day of 1916. Foreign
Secretary Zimmerman informed
Won Bernstorff of quantities of mu-
nitions which it was proposed to land
between February 81 and %, 1917.
He added that it was impossible to
send German troops.
"On January 10, 1917, Bernstorff
replied his Irish committee declined
the proposal as without German
troops a rising would be useless.
After Americas entrance into the
war in April, 1917, the line of COM
munication between Germany and the
leaders Of the Sim Fein party was
broken temporarily though there was
no reason to believe that the messen-
ser service between America and
Ireland, devised by John Dewey, was
affected.
"A clue to the new line of COM
1aunication was obtained subsequent
~ and was followed un actively. The
effect of this new line in Ireland is
visible in the speeches of the Sim
Fem leaders during this period.
For some considerable time it was
difficult to obtain accurate Informal
uon as to German-Sinn Fein plans,
but about April 1918, it was ascer-
tanned definitely that q plan for land
ing arms in Ireland was ripe for OK
ccutlon and the Germans only await
ed definite information from Ireland
as to the time, place and date.
The British authorities were able
to warn the Irish command regard
Ing 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 it was planned to follow a
successful German offensive in the
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