The Washington times., 1920-07-17
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ALREADY WON
British Rule Broken, Spies
Routed, Asserts Boland,
Sim Fein Secretary.

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NEW YORK, July 17.-British gov
ernment of Ireland has entirely
broken down. according 10 Harry j.
Boland. secretary OF the Sim Fein
organiza ton and aid to President de
Valera OF the unrecognized Irish Re-
public says the New York Sun and
Herald. Boland, who escaped from
ireland successfully about a year ago
TO prepare the way to this country for
his chief. dropped out OF sight in
Irish circles here several months ago.
Yesterday be reappeared at the Wal
dorf-Astoria Hotel. 1t was then made
known that Boland had paid a visit
to ireland to report on matters In
America to the Irish republican cab
met, and Incidentally to bring back
an account of affairs in Ireland at
present.
"In the last ten or twelve months
amazing progress has been made In
the organization and firm establish
ment OF the republic" he said. THE
republican government holds sessions
OF courts of law, levies taxes and
performs the ordinary functions OF
government with the same authority
and with far greater ease than the
British government ever succeeded
In doing.
"The most impressive thing. how
ever, is the absolute roofing out OF
the British spy and police system.
During the entire time l was there 1
went about undisguised. known 10
everybody. in the country districts
and in Dublin, the capital OF Ireland
itself. 1 visited my home. took Mrs.
de Valera for a motor ride, attended
three great football matches, and all
ha pyif ah
not know / was in Ireland"
GUERRILLA WAR SUCCEEDING.
Boland declared that great success
has attended the guerrilla warfare
being waged in Ireland, and that
British soldiery could not combat II.
In the last ten months. he said. 800
police barracks have been destroyed
and the police have been driven out
of their strongholds in the parishes
and villages back into the larger
cities Vigilance committees organi-
zed by the Irish Volunteers have
taken over the police work in the
deserted regions.
There is now a British army of
'2OO, 900 men in Ireland" he said.
"Opposing them we have an organized
force of $4,000 men, well officered and
we'll trained. Although they are not
are daily disarming detachments OF
British regiments and taking from
them rifles, machine guns and am
munition. r.r.
"The British army is a laughing
stock In Ireland, and is helpless
Shall tell you how I watched them
get some milk in one town? An
armored car jammed with men drove
up to q shop. The officer in charge
and some Of the men entered and
negotiated for some milk. OF course
the shopkeeper refused to serve them.
They took the milk, left money on
the counter, loaded the milk on the
armored car, and drove off with the
guards on the alert"
WORK OF sINN FEN COURT.
Boland said that when he was in
the town Of Granard, in County Long
ford, the regular British court of
petty session met and, instead of
normal four-day session, had only two
cases to decide. That night, in the
same courthouse, the Sim Fein tri-
bunal met and handled forty-eight
cases In Sim Fein legal proceedings
both parties register the case with
the registrar and at the same time
bg the decision of the Republican
court and will not appeal to the
~enemy" court.
"what happened to the British gen.
eral who was captured by Irish Vol
unteersT' he was asked.
General Lucas Is well treated he
answered, with a smile. 81 presume
he is being held as hostage for r. G.
barton, our Minister Of Agriculture.
Mr.. Barton Is a Protestant. landhold-
er in County wicklow, a graduate OF
oxford and formerly a captain In the
british army. He has now served
eight months Of a sentence OF three
years penal servitude among British
nickpockets and other criminals in
portland prison for a speech he
made"
In discussing the question Of rec
IGNITION of the republic, Boland said:
"It does not matter a penny piece
TO Ireland II recognition is not ac-
corded the republic in your time or
my time. The people over there have
already won their republic, whether
this is officially acknowledged or not.
They have even oversubscribed a loan
of half a million pounds for the re-
public, and they are determined that
n will take more than the five years
and million lives Mr.. Lloyd George
threatens us with to bring them back
70 subjection."