The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-05-25
EFFORTS OF TIE
GERMAN AGEN rs
TO START REVOLT
were UNTIRLNG G
Activities Began as Early
as 1914 Through Sir
Roger Easement
PLANNED SUB BASES
,.s..-. . TN IRELAND
Non Bernstorf Fixed Date
of ,Abortive Rising of
Easter, 1916
GERMAN SUPPORT
DID NOT ARRIVE
Ambassador Continu e d
Z His Efforts, Working
/ for Revolution
GERMAN SUPPORT
DID NOT ARRIVE
CRv Associated Press.l

London, May 25.-Germany's un-
Hiring efforts to foment revolution
On Ireland with the aid of the Sim
F'ein are laid bare in a statement
from the official press bureau, re-
viewing this phase Of the Irish po-
ilitical situation.
After the abortive rebellion Of Eas-
Fter week, 1915. plans were made for
p revolt in 1917. but they miscarried
because of Americas entry into the
war and Germanys inability to send
troops to Ireland. An uprising in
ireland was planned for this year,
after the German offensive in the
west should have, been successful,
iand when Great Britain presumably
would be stripped Of troops.
- Concerning the recent arrests in
ireland. the statement says that
facts and documents. for obvious
reasons, cannot now be disclosed nor
gan the means Of communication be-
Tween Germany and Ireland
Every plan called for the estab-
Iaishment OF submarine bases in Ire-
slard. In the present circumstances,
ut is added, no other course was open
to the government, 'if useless blood
shed was to be avoided and its du-
Eties to it's allies fulfilled. but to in
ltern the authors and abettors Of this
criminal intrigue"
Z The Official Statement
The statement from the press bu-
Ereau follows, in part:
1.-THE revolutionary movement in
kIreland consisted of two series Of
lactivittes: Attempts by the German
government to foment rebellion in
lIreland and preparations in Ireland
to expect these attempts. The story
of the active connection between the
leaders of the Sim Fein movement
fand the Germans falls into two parts
the period prior to and the period
since the abortive Irish rebellion of
iEaster. 1915.
/ "The story begins November 6,
1874, when Herr Zimmerman trans
Eaaitted through Count Won BeRnstorff
Ia message from Sir Roger Easement
E(ater captured in Ireland and exc
tcuted), asking that a messenger, a
natiVe-born American if possible, be
Isent to Ireland. Easement also ask
led that an Irish priest be sent to
Germany with the assistance of the
German legation in Norway to cor
lTupt Irish prisoners Of war. This
priest was John T. Nicholson, an
American citizen of Irish birth. We
ind him in January, 1915, transmit
ting messages to America,
According to report Of Captain
Won Papen German military sattache
In Washington, December, 1914,
verbal assurances were sent in re-
sponse to Easements request that an
excellent impression had been pro-
duced in Ireland. February 10, 1916,
Count Won Bernstorf sent to an ad-
dress in Rotterdam a. dispatch sign
ed with the name of Sakel, one Of
his principal American agents.
Planned For Easter Week.
The dispatch included an extract
from the report of John Dewey, head
of the C1an-na- Gael. that action in
Ireland could not be postponed 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.
won BernstorR. following his
usual practice, surreptitiously at
tached to a message to Berlin passed
by the American government, a note
fixing Easter Saturday for the rising
and urging the dispatch OF muni-
tions in time. On March 4, Won ia
gov German foreign minister) res
piled that the arms would be landed
in Tralee bay and asked that the
necessary arrangements be made in
ireland through DeVoy.
won Bernstorff telegraphed the
code to be used between the Ger
mans and the rebels while the arms
were in transit and explained that
submarine might safely enter Dublin
bay and go as far as Pigeon House
without encountering nets.
On 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 serv-
Ice.
ION April is and April 10 argent
messages were sent from America to
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 a naval attack on the Eng
lish coast These attacks actually
took place between April "a and 26. |
1T was declared to be the hope OF
the rebels and their German and
American friends to blockade the
Irish ports against England and es-
ta'blish bases in Ireland for German
submarines.
Support Misearried.
The rebellion broke out a day
later than scheduled, on Easter Mon
CONTINUED on page SD