The Mena weekly star., 1919-12-25
IRELAND IS AT
 WAR; NEW EXCUSE
Multitude of Riots Excused on the Ground That the New Republic Is Fighting England--Some of the
 Notable Incidents.

Dublin. Dec. 20, Ireland is at war" s the phrase commonly used by cer- ain people to excuse certain acts of violence The remark invariably discs an incredulous smile. but in pite of this there is no getting away rom the fact that there is hardly any lilder form of phrase to describe the ctual situation.
 Take this mornings Dublin news apers ano we find news and very xciting news too. from at least three fronts" It is not the recognized war are. either trench or open, but is per haDs best described as guerilla.
 In the first instance on the south oast there was a naval engagement. !" n Admiralty motor launch lying at 3 fer in Bantry Bay, County Cork, was
 lently invaded by body of men, he naval men in charge were instant Y oyerpowered, the vessel searched Ed eight rifles and three revolyers aken away. The alarm was given az oon as possible and military tn ar lored cars secured the countryside. Nc arrests.
 Another news item reports: While office were endeayoring to arrest a inn Fein leader named Patrick rHegarty near Gurteen, County Sligo, hey came into sharp conflict with an ssembled crowd. O'Hegarty was in a rotor car and the police drew a cor on across the road to stop the car ut the driver putting on full speed nfalr H rrAf everal of the police. The latter fired Il the fleeing car and the fire was re- urned None of the police was hit, ut those in the ear had some casual ies." Dr. Doyle had bullet in the eg, the chauffeur had a portion of his ar shot away and the car was riddled.
 he police followed the car on bicy- les and came up with it at Gurteen, where a scene of disorder occurred. The police attempted to arrest O'Gra- dy and were attacked with bottles and stones O'Grady got into car and at empted to escape; the police fired and OGrady's cap was shot off. The ar reeled and finally disappeared over a hill and was lost to view. O'Hegarty also escaped. O'Grady' s overcoat was riddled with bullets.
 Another incident took place in a remote part of County Cork, where bank officials going to fair and car rying between them 10000 pounds for disbursement to purchasers of cattle were waylaid on the roadside by men armed with revolvers. The bank of ficials were bound and gagged and their money taken away. No arrests have been made.
 The morning papers contain reports of other incidents one being that of
 priest who refused to remove his hat while sitting in Crimes Act Court at Galway, and who persisting in refusing was ultimately removed rom the court. The priest remarked hat he had no respect for the court for any English court. There are lso recorded raids for arms at sey- ral country houses.
 These reports all go to indicate the ature of the warfare" which is go- ng on and which certainly cannot be gnored.
 What is the purpose of 1t all2
 Those who have been gathering arms, and, as in the Bantry case, quite successfully, are not doing it for amusement Neither is the money raid a purposeless adventure. The arms and the money are needed for an ob- isct which it is hardly necessary to indicate. Daring men are employed in this work, and the immunity which they have hitherto enjoyed from ar. est and punishment is one of it's most emarkable features.