New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-14
Crowd of 10000 Gathers
Around Prison Where.
100 Prisoners Staryc:
Attitude Threatening
Troops Reinforced;
Tanks Aid Defense
Strike Effective Except
in Ulster; All Industry
in the South Stagnant
By Frank Getty
From The Tribnnc's European Bureau
ght 1920 \ew York .rr,itun. rnc


LONDON, April 13.-With all Ireland,
excepting Ulster, paralyzed by gen
eral strike involving the complete
stoppage Of trains and streetcars and
the closing of shops, banks, hotels,
bars, schools and courts of law, the
situation at the storm center-Mount
JOY prison-where more than 10000
people, held at bay ali day by tanks,
machine guns and barbed wire en-
tanglements, gathered to pray for the
rapidly approached a critical stage
tonight
A terrible tragedy of some sort, it is
thought, can scarcely be averted in an
other twenty-four hours. Inside the
walls of Mountjoy prison the prisoners,
most of whom are growing desperately
weak, continued their hunger strike
through this day, the ninth of their
fast
The Lord Mayor of Dublin tele-
eraphed the Chief Secretary for Ire
land. who is busy in England with po-
lltical affairs of different nature.
asking him TO intervene in the name of
humanity. and telling him that Dublin
vas IN "a fever of excitement" Eve
,ear a dreadful tragedy is impending"
ne told the Chief Secretary.
British Policy Unchanged
The government remains unbcndine
IN ITS purpose not to accede to the de-
mand that trials be given the prisoners
or that they be released. Andrew Bo-
mar Law, spokesman for the govern
ment in the absence of Premier Lloyd
George, said in the House of Commons
this afternoon that the whole ques-
ton was one to be decided by the
1tish government and that his majes-
tvs government had full confidence in
the policy which is now being fol-
lowed.
1t would be futile, Bonar Law added,
to arrest men on suspicion and then
release them because they refuse to
take food
The danger of the situation around
Dublin is difficult to portray. All day
long crowds stood around the walls of
MountJoy prison. and the ugly temper
of the growing throng increased to-
ward nightfall. The military authori-
ties decided that a single tank would
alton, and two others were called into
service, while another hundred soldiers
were added to the Gordon thrown
around the prison. Barricades Of barbed
wire that had been built were extended.
Across 1t British soldiers, most of them
boys. gripping their rifles. were faced
oy mob that before dark numbered
more than twenty thousand.
The temper of the crowd changed
nourly from prayerful TO violently
demonstrative. At one moment the
praying for the suffering prisoners
within and the next some one would
hourish Sin Fein flag and the soldiers
would tighten their grasp on their
rihes, making ready TO fire as the crowd
surged toward the wire barricades in
scarcely represscd frenzy.
Faith in Prayers Declared
BY ore of those miracles which oc-
eur regularly in the troubles of the
IRISH people these days, not shot
nad been fred on either side up to
O'Clock this evening. The leaders
snoutcd to the crowd that the prayers
we're Keeping the prisoners alive.
Ire scene at the hour of the Ange-
,as brought out touching phase of
insn character az the men, women and
catidren knelt in the streets before
teara
80 complete was the general strike,
"n'eh was originally called for only
."enty-four hours, that it has been
aaec'ded. IN view of the governments
INN stand, 70 continue the strike "un-
:" sne prisoners arc released"
hundreds OF persons are "marooncd"
IN Dublin hotels. Even tho postofTice
re closed except for kilograms. and
lhis morning thousand letter car
Iisfs and sortern marched to the Sack
.itie Street General Postoficc in Dub
I'm and barred the doors.
Call Ignored in Ulster
hariy to-day two things were appar-
.Dt ABOUT the general strike called in
xsoppost Of the hunger strikers. The
Hfss Was that the call Of the Irish
trsee union congress had met with an
snsnusiastic and practically unanimous
rrs,sponse in the southwest Of ireland.
se second Was that the trade unions
" belfast and north ireland had ig-
H"fed The call and business was pro-
sesdinx there an usual.
me failure Of the workers in the
ncf'n 70 respond 70 the demands Of the
isoor leaders makes the affair more
2, political issue than mt first seemed
u..Aeiy and draws the same line between
sns Irish factions which has been oh
sssfysd in other political matters. The
snsh labor unions have dram their
pam strength from Ulster since twcn.y-
gsf ynays apo, when the trade union
DDonin1 Of Ireland separated frorl the
,,.ngnsh conHrcss and the leader of
ne organization 10 this day are large
Continued % psss hys)
gcoD MonNING:
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