The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-03-14
HOLDING IRELAND
WITH bAy0NETS
One British Soldier or Consta-
BILE for Every Thirty Five
Irish1nen Is Present
Strength.
DUBLIN WELL GUARDED
Mother England to Be Given "Divil
Of Lot Of Trouble" Unless
She Frees
Ireland.

Staff Correspondent
[Copyright. 1919, by United Press.]
NEW YORK, March 14.-England
is holding Ireland with two hundred
thousand bayonets," Sim Fein Off
cials charge.
Lord Mayor O'Nefl, of Dublin, an
Irish nationalist, estimates the "army
of occupation" at 100000.
The exact number of soldiers in
Ireland is, of course, a military Sc
cret. But to the visitor in Dublin,
the mass of uniforms encountered is
amazing. Sentries are posted at the
entrances of all public buildings.
They march through the streets in
squads and companies. All are fully
armed and most wear shra9nel he'll
| NETS.
England is ready to put down a
| revolution here" the Rev. Michael
| O'Flanaghan, vice president of the
Sim Fein national council, told me
| just before left Dublin two weeks
| ago.
| In addition to the soldiers. there
| is the royal Irish constabulary which
Lis scattered through stf1e rural dis
tricts and also policies all cities. ex-
cept Dublin. This force numbers
II 600 The Dublin police force to-
! tails 2,OO0 Assuming there are only
! 100000 English soldiers in Ireland
| and most of the estimates place the
number at 20O, ,000-the island, with
population of only four million, has
one soldier or constable for every
thirty-five persons.
Compare this with your New
York, which has population OF six
million and but little more than ten
| thousand policemen. That is one
/ policeman for every six hundred per-
/ sons, in the most congested city in
| the world
The Rev. Father O'F1anaghan, who
! has been suspended from his church
/ duties because of a Sim Fein speech
he made in violation OF one of the
church rules, was unprepared to pre-
dict that Ireland would gain complete
I independence during his lifetime.
! Gle appeared to be about 40)
But we will give Mother England
a -divil' of lot of trouble" he said,
! with a grin. ireland is sure to De
independent in the end
Jack O'Dowd, who drove the jaunt-
/ ing cart on which / rode from the
wharf to my hotel shook his fist at
the backs of company OF armed
4 IlIFudItcu lSlSiloh Eoiu'S'
(, ing the water front.
"When you get home tell the
] American people how England is
holding Ireland with bayonets. ne
! said Were hoping America VIII
help us get free of military ,uie.
Violations Of military regulations
are frequent, however, ALMOST daily
the newspapers tell Of courtsnartia
at Dublin castle, headquarters of the
British army there. Windows OF
magazine stores and book shops are
filled with pamphlets whose head
lines shout defiance to the British
military rule" Sim Fein propa
ganda is displayed and sold every
where, together with pictures of Ed
ward De Valera, the fugitive SIM
Fein leader. and his lieutenants-
Men are arrested, fined and some
! times Imprisoned for singing Sim
Fein songs" said Secretary Shehan
of the Sim Fein national council.
Despite this show of armed pre-
Iparedness by England, the Irish ar
going quietly about organization o
the so-called Irish republic.
"Invisible government is the tern
used to describe the government o
the Irish national assembly, becaus'
it is regarded as existing aionesio'
Eof the British government, "salt
Harry Boland, honorary secretary o
the Sim Fein national council Blu
Sim Feiners refer to the British ad
minfstration as the de facto govern
ment.'
sThe invisible government ac
cording TO Boland, already is wei
enough organized to administer al
: public affairs, If the occasion arises
at works through 1900 Sinn Feil
, branch clubs throughout the coun
try he explained. Through thes
clubs we are teaching Gaelic. cfficia
language of the Irish national as
sembly. The assembly also Is ol
ganizing executive departments, CON
mon to ali national governments
J such as comm cree. agriculture, an
labor"
Another present activity OF tn
fEonffn,.cd on naQe Z-A