Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1921-02-06
IRISH REPUBLICANS
To OPEN CAMPAIGN
AGAINST BRITISH
sINN FEINERs FEEL THAT TIHEY
HAVE BEEN GIVEN "UNFAIRs
DEAL.
Organization 20 Oppose British kuAs
Is Organized; Mystsrioas
Colonel II Given
Command.

DpbLIN, Feb. 5--A high officer o.
tho Irish republican army has given 20
the associated press n lengthy state
ment on the army and its operations.
This IL tho first authorised statement
thus far made public. but the identity
of the officer and the circumstances ok
the Interview cannot be disclased. nor
ls the correspont permitted 10 publish
the statistical information supplied ro-
gardlng the total number Of forces. both
regular and "Irregularr--as the flying
columns Of men on the run are termed
now In the field.
Tho officer who win he DESIGNATED In
the interview as Colonel ~ spoke
freely. answering unhesisatlnzly evcry
question propoundsd. but he enjoyed
non publication of various etatements.
which. he said. might give Informal
ton 10 the enemy"
lie emphatically denied the recent &C.,
iaratlon of Major General etrickhnd
IN command Of the British trcops. that
the Irish republican army orEAni.asson
vaa dlsmcmbered. and rspudiased ne
suggestion that the rcmss>abis activity
in the last fortnight was q dsnessern'
tlon 20 dlsprove 20 the association nat
the morale Of the volunteers was I'm
paired.
.The recent Increase IN the nunzber
of attacks on the Crown forces." aid
Colonel X, was only q natural Develop
ment due TO the perfecting of our o.
ganlzatIon. From now on there VIII
No further extension and intenslfication
of our operations In ali parts OF 0s
country
lie lntimated that the republican army
would soon begin the Issuance nf .
military communique. probably week
iy, and added our system OF communal
cation is not yet very rapid. but . y
certain"
lie smiled at reference called 10 hls
attention that Michael Collins was head
of the republican army. saying "shzf
In n deluslon presisted In not only ~
the public. but by the British govern
ment."
He ala not say whether the direction
ot the republican army was IN the
hands Of one man OF q committee.
There II a large reward outstanding Tor
the arrest Of Collins -
Colonel X began:
"The Irish republican army dots the
entire country. Our plan IL 10 account
for every district either by battaiions
or companies; every foot Of ground u
being surveyed and studied with refer
ence TO the most promising spots for
ambushes and with regard 10 the dis.
position of the Crown forces. The sise
of our forces varies according 70 the
nature Of the country and the numbcf
and character of tho Inhabitants.
County Meath. for instance. is sparsely
settled. and the terrain n fiat. making
conditions for fighting unfavorabie.
I'VE are slowly but steadily carrying
out our plans II should be understood.
however. that we must organize and
train our men while we are engaged
I IN fighting"
The units OF the organization. &C
cording 20 the officers is the company.
whose full strength normally 10 100
men each company being tacticnily
self-coniained and furnishing It's own
sIgnallcrs. engineers. and machine
guns.
THE tendency. though" he ccntin'
ued. lis to operate In smaller units IN
areas like Ulster where certain dis
tricts are either too thinly peopled %
the population Is hostile. We have oniy
small groups engaged In reconnais'
ance and intelligence work. In some
areas. where conditions are wholly
favorable. the companies are formed
into ba,talions and brigades. This u
) our regular army. The men on tho
run are somewhat similarly organizeds
hut In mail units. They work IN con-
functions with the regulars ana are
: kent well armed. clothed and equipped.
: But the vast bulk Of our men are not
, ON the run; they are available for oper.
: ations In the daytime. others at night
time"
Questioned rs TO who directed the
attacks, Colonel y replied:
"lf n he an attack on n barracks. or
other major operation requiring q large
numbers of men. the officers IN the
district must satisfy us at hcadqunrt.
crs that Il won't mean throwing away
men or ammunition. In small opera.
tions. however. such as an attack on
one or two lorries. or the seizure %
military supplies on trains or roadss
or roads. or raids on malls. the men
act ON their own Initiative"
Colonel X asserted that the organi'
ration was growing rapidly ana that 4
I WINS easy "a oi,ialn rocrulfa