Evening star., 1918-05-19
Government Adopts an Iron
Hand Policy to Check
Spread of Sedition.
ACCUSED ARE HUSTLED
FROM BEDS TO SHIPS
Documents Of Greatest Importance
Seized-Movement Great Sur.
prise to Sinn Feiners.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
LONDON, May ls.-The govern
ment has adopted the policy of the
iron hand in dealing with sedition in
Ireland. AL the leaders of the Sim
Fein Society have been arrested by a
swift, comprehensive dragnet drawn by
the police and soldiers during the
night and early hours of the morning.
The movement was apparently a com.
plete surprise, and most of those ar
rested were quickly and quietly placed
aboard ships.
The dragnet swept all over the coun-
try, and there was no possibility of
resistance The majority of those ar
rested were taken from their homes
while abcd, and only few scuffles and
little revolver play took place. Ac-
cording to latest reports hundreds of
arrests were made.
Plot With Germany Charged.
/
LONDON. May 1s.-The prociama-
| tfon by the new viceroy states that
the arrests were made because a plot
with Germany was being fostered.
This gives the government ground for
justification. The Sim Fein move
ment has been for a long time con-
Quoted in defiance of all civil laws
and war prohibitions. but the Sinn
Fem leaders, except in the case OF
oratorfcal outbursts. have not identi-
Ned themselves with the Germans, and
as long as the Sim Fein appeared to
be purely Irish movement a consid-
cradle section Of the English People
nave nav Deen disposed to think that the
government might turn a blind eye to-
ward 1t and trust to the soldier eIe-
ments in Ireland to maintain a bal
| ance.
The prisoners rounded up today in
arthar eat Grifti. hasf q h%S % Io5kh sson Fem; b9:
| newspaper. organized the society
touT.eer iey,rz nS years ,; ago; Countess Mark
the Easter insurrection in 1916; the
small group of Sinn Feiners who re-
Gently won their parliamentary cleo
ton from the nationalists and re-
fused TO take their seats at westnnin-
| ster. with various leaders of the local
branches. A large proportion Of
those arrested figured in the Easter
by Premier Asquith's government
Whole of Britain Surprised.
The latest turn Of the Kaleidoscope
of The complicated Irish situation has
surprised the whole of Britain as
completely as Ii did its victims. Only
a few weeks ago Lloyd Georges war
cabinet proposed to settle the Irish
question by coupling home rule with
conservation 1t seemed for time
by that plan. but after a short agits.-
ton it appeared that both were eX-
cited to greater antagonism than had
existed before.
the home rule offer was not screen
for conscription; the Obstetrics insisted
that conscription was only a device for
thrusting home rule on them. And the
Irish quarrel among Irishmen settled
back into the old timeworn rut.
The general Interpretation of the gov
ernment's new plan as read from the
viceroy's proclamation is that conscrip-
tion will be sidetracked for a time. while
a scheme for voluntary enlistment is
tried.
.Nationalists Embarrassed.
The latest development places the ma
tionalist party in an embarrassing posi-
tion. John Dillon and his followers have
withdrawn from parliament and Joined
the Sim Feiners and the church in a
strike against conscription. If the Sim
Fein is proved to be in conspiracy with
the Germans, the nationalists must drop
their new alliance, because the national
even anti-British, but only home rulers.
American opinion is, as always in
Irish affairs, an important element in
the case. All Irishmen want American
sympathy and support.
Prof. John MacNeiN. president of the
Gaelic League and head of the Sim
Fein volunteers. who is one of the few
prominent Sim Feiners not arrested.
declares that the Sim Fein is not in
sympathy with the Germans.
The war cabinet has a free hand for
dealing with Ireland for the time
being. Parliament has adjourned un-
cabinet with questions or debates.
Members of the house of commons are
already beginning to criticise the
government on the ground that it
waited until parliament adjourned be-
fore showing its hand.
important Documents Taken.
Documents of great Importance in
connection with an Irish conspiracy
have fallen into the hands of the
government through the arrest by
COdSI 3 TuS VI d 1udu Will certain
evidence upon him.
There have been no disturbances
anywhere in the country as far as is
known here" says a Dublin dispatch
to the Evening News. Indeed. the
most striking feature of the govern
ments coup was it's swiftness and
All arrangements were
carried through: like clockwork,
the Sinn Feiners. who
boosted that the authorities were
afraid to arrest Prof. De Valera or
any other leaders, and would meddle
only with the smaller fry OF the or
The Dublin Offices of the Sim Fem
and the Offices of the National Aid
Fund were taken over by the mill
tary.
All the Sinn Fein members of pap
lament have been arrested. Dublin
remains quiet, the correspondent
adds, but there is a feeling of sup
pressed excitement.
Sees CONSUMPTION Plan.
Commenting on the proclamation
by Lord French. the Dublin Free
mans Journal is quoted in IN Dx-
Continual on Tenth FaSe.l