The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-01-22
IRISH REPUBLIC
IS PROCLAIMED
BY SIM FE|NER RS
Declaration of independence
Read Before Assembly
MEET AT MANSION HOUSE
Withdrawal from ireland Of Garrison
of British Troops is Demanded
Proceedings Were in Gaelic.

Dublin, Jan. 21.-The Sim Fein AS
sembly met at the Mansion House this
afternoon.
The Assembly stood while a Declara
ton OF Independence was read an
nouncing the establishment of an Irish
republic and demanding the evacua-
ton Of Ireland by the British garri-
cor.
The first business was the election
Of chairman. after which prayers
were said by the Rev. Father O'Flana-
gan Of Roscommon. The reading OF
the Declaration of independence fol.
lowed.
A crowd OF perhaps a thousand, in
cluding many women and children,
wearing green, white and yellow rib
bons, pressed around the door of the
Mansion House. watching the dele.
gates enter. Only two policemen
were visible, but the Sim Fein had its
own pclice-youths wearing white
arm bands-tO keep order
About half the Sim Feihers elected
TO membership in the British Parlia-
ment participated, the other half be-
ing in various English prisons, charg.
ed with sedition, or merely held on
suspicion under the spacious and
elastic provisions Of the Defense of
the Realm act The Sim Feiners met
under the shadow OF Dublin Castle.
where presides Field Marshal Wis
count French. the First Viceroy in
many years to give Ireland a purely
military government. They met with
his full knowledge and tacit consent
10 take measures which are purely
seditious and in direct violation OF ex-
plicii law.
In the shabby Sim Fein headquar-
ters, situated in q decayed old house
which was at one time one of Dublin's
finest mansions, courteous young wo.
men secretaries gave cards of admis-
sion 10 today's meeting quite imparti-
ally to friend and foe; to supporters
OF the Sim Fein and to correspond.
ents Of English newspapers which
hold the Sim Fein and all its work
anathems.
Today's program in independence
Hail" differed in one respect from the
solemnities Of 1776 at Philadelphia
They were carried out in the Irish
language, which is virtually dead
tongue, so dead that the Sim Feinerf
haye been obliged to rehearse thei,
parts and vera compelled TO lapsc
occasionally into boycotted English
terms because they could not iind
irish words to fit modern parliaaen
( tary procedure.
Ireland is country Of the neX
/ pected but no one predicts ans
trouble or disorder. The Government
las revoked the order. made last July
/ requiring official authorization iOl
/ public meetings and professions
which order had been suspended FOL
some time. The revolutionary flas
floats quite freely over the homes o
Sim Feiners in Dublin. Members o
the party expect protection from thI
authorities of the nation whom the'
are defying Once they would have
looked TO the United States for sym
pathy and help, but now they thinl
they do not command American sup
por'.
They do not talk Of and appareutl'
do not contemplate violence. Dubih
had an unhappy and fruitless exper
ence in the insurrection OF 1916, al
experience which cost rows of buid
ings on Saokville Street, once pointe,
TO with pride as one OF the fines
avenues in Europe.
Dublin. Jan. 22.-Aocording to III
/ provisional constitution OF the Iris
republic now before "Dail Eireann
, legislative powers are to be vested i
deputies elected for the existing pal
liamentary constituencies. The mini
, try will consist Of a president an
four executive officers which are Sc,
retares Of finance, home aiafirs, FOL
eign affairs and national defense.
All revenues viii be raised b
l Dali Eireann' The constitution ma