East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1920-01-30
IRISH REPUBLIC DESPERADOES STILL ELUDE
UTMOST VIGILANCE OF BRITISH AUTHORITIES

| Omitted Press Staff COrrespondent)
DUBLIN, Jan. 30.-In spite Of the
utmost vigilance of the British au-
lthorlties the government of the Irish
republic" is still functioning to cer-
tain extent. Since the orders for the
suppression of all Sim Fein organlza-
ltlons and the Dali Elreann or Sim
Fein parliament the government" has
been carried on with the greatest diff
ficulty.
Although nearly every minister is
a fugitive and liable to arrest at any
moment the cabinet" manages to hold
a furtive secret meeting occasionally.
Usually these meetings are held at the
home of some trusted Sim Feiner and
never twice in the same place. The
meetings are mainly for the purpose
Of hearing reports of the activities of
the different departments and Keep
ing the organization intact,
Four Are Sought.
At the present moment four mem
bers Of the cabinet are being hunted
by the British government authorities.
They are: ID. j. Barton, minister Of
agriculture; Countess Markievics, min
lister of labor; Ernest Blythe, minis
ter without Portfolio and Michael
Collins. minister of finance.
Several Of these men are still in
Dublin but keep under cover SO clev-
erly. that the government agents are
unable to put their hands upon them.
Only a few days ago two OF the mem
bers were seen on the streets in dis
guise by acquaintances
Bluffs Way to Escape.
Within the past week Collins walk
ed boldly down sackville street. the
main thoroughfare, and met face to
face with two government secret SER
vice men who Immediately recognized
him. Collins coolly showed his hand
in his pocket and walked between the
detectives. Knowing his reputation as
a desperate and daring fighter the de-
tectives feared to tackle him. With
in a few minutes the district was
swarming with police but Collins had
vanished.
In the last roundup of Sim F'ein
Readers in which the government plan
ned to make a clean sweep of the
cabinet" Collins had close shave.
Although forewarned of the impending
raid he waited too long and when the
party of police arrived at the Sim
Fein headquarters in Harcourt street
Collins was inside and the building
was surrounded. With only few
seconds to spare he succeeded in
reaching the roof and thence crossed
to the roof of a hotel next door and
calmly watched the raid.
Darts out i'm Confusion.
After the police had departed Col
llins started to descend but fell through
la skylight into the hotel and almost
into the arms of a British officer who
raised an alarm. In the confusion
Collins got away
As minister of finance, Collins Is
handling the funds and campaign for
the Irish Republic" loan. Although
the exact status of the loan is unknown
lit is reported that it has reached the
sum of several hundred thousand dol
lars. For safe keeping it is said to be
distributed among a large number of
persons in small amounts, SO as not to
arouse suspicion.
Evidences of the activity of Collins
ministry" are visible to any casual
observer in the streets of Dublin. The
walls and Signboards are plastered
with appeals to "buy bonds of the
Irish republic" With an eye TO per
manency the loan advertising is paint
ed in black stenciling. One of the ia
vorite positions for the appeal is over
Lord Frenchs proclamations, and
with characteristic ITiSH huiiloi SpihN
one has painted one on the police sta
tion walls.
Several Dublin newspapers were
suppressed for publishing the adver-
tising for the Irish loan.
converted While Guard
Next after Collins the British gov
ernment is most anxious To get ID. j.
Barton the minister of agriculture
Barton has had a romantic career. At
the time of the Easter rebellion he
was a British army officer He was
placed on guard over some of the sim
Fein prisoners and through converse
itiuns with them became converted to
Sim Feinism. Since then he has been
one of the bitterest enemies of the
British government in Ireland.
Some Of the many mysteries ol
dublin Castles actions is the freedom
ALLOWED Arthur Griffith, the actinr
president of the Irish republic Since
the Wholesale sweep in 1917. Griffith
( has not been molested. Other sim
F'einers declare that the government is
afraid to arrest Griffith because II
would preciptate an uprising. Mean
while Griffith comes and goes more
or less freely about Dublin and is read
4 lily accessible to visitors.
1 There is also considerable specula-