The Washington times., 1922-08-27

that Sir Roger Easement would
succeed in inducing German Off
GERS to come to Ireland to give US
the benefit of their experience, but
all that was actually counted upon
was shipments of sufficient arms
and ammunition.
This obviously was a vital need.
Without equipment we could do
nothing. But when at last word
came that the shipments were on
the way, Easter Sunday was fixed
as the date for the beginning OF
hostilities-always conditional on
the safe arrival of the arms and
ammunition. At least, this was my
understanding. And that was
where l was in error! / did not
know that a little coterie among our
leaders was inspired with an idea
of the intrinsic value of martyrdom
for martyrdom's sake. But / will
come to that presently.
Easements Arrest.
"The world knows Of Easements
arrest. 1t happened on Good Fri
day. 1t is not so generally known
that the same day a German ship
carrying 10000 rifles and a million
rounds Of ammunition was scuttled
and sunk by her commander in Ira
lee Bay to escape capture by the
British. Word OF both disasters
reached me Saturday afternoon. At
the same time a message from Case
ment himself advised me that he was
absolutely opposed to our making
any move which in the circum-
stances, must be foredoomed to fail
ure. I wasted no time in trying to
prevent what seemed certain to be a
lUdicrous fiasco.
BY word Of mouth, in hastily
written dispatches, and in a formal
order which / inserted in the Sun.
day Independent forbade sny
movement Of the Volunteers to take
place.
And all this I did without the
slightest knowledge of the real
plans of my colleagues. Easter
Monday came as a more terrible
shock to me than perhaps to any
other Irishman in Ireland. Seven
of our finest and our bravest lead
ers had put their names to the
declaration of the Irish Republic,
had seized the postoffice. had fired
the first shots Of the rebellion! OF
course, without those German arms
and ammunition, they must have
failed in any event-had not
issued the countermanding orders
but in the resultant confusion. with
our forces in all parts of the coun-
try notably in Cork remaining
passive, 1t seemed that this mad
act of desperation by a mere hand
full OF men-poorly equipped and
with no support to depend upon
would constitute the most lament
able, futile gesture in the annals
of Ireland's history. Undoubtedly
this would have been the case had
it not been for England's stupidity!
IF England had only used the
Dublin police force instead of high
explosive shells and all the para
phernalia of war, arrested the lead
ers on a charge of disturbing the
peace-or, perhaps, trespass!-and
regarded the feint in its true light,
the prank of irresponsible idealisrs
not to be taken seriously-she could
have led a world to join in ironic
laughter In that fashion the cause
of Irish freedom could have been
set back a generation. Every Irish
man must thank God that England
made the mistake Of treating 1t seri.
ously, thereby giving II a dignity
with which nothing else could have
invested IT,
THE seven martyrs went to mar.
tyrs' deaths! Their fondest dreams
were exceeded! Ireland's freedom
was at last in sight"
"I referred to the reason Eng
land permitted us to build up the
Irish Volunteers" Prof. MacNeIll
continued. She hoped we would
use that body to make war upon
Ulster. Now six years have come
and gone-and the truth about
Ulster seems to be as little under
stood as II was then. I feel Pc
Culiarly well fitted to tell 1t. For
I am a native Of County Antrim
and was educated at st. Malachy's
College in Belfast.
II speak as an fisherman, II
you please. but that makes me no
less an Irishman for that.
The Case Of Ulster.
Let an Ulster Outlander speak
for that part of Ireland from
which he comes. Here in Dublin
there appears to be no question
that l am an Irishman. Am L,
then. an Outlander when am
lamong my kith and kin in the
Northeast? Or. II my own claim 20
be Irish Is graciously conceded,
must l believe that my father and
mother. my brothers end sisters
down in the north are not Of my
nationality?
THE truth is simple. England has
done her utmost to keep flaming the
hatred conceived by bigotry and
talsesood at the time OF the p!anta.
tion Of three centuries ago. To irish.
men in the South, England's ennis.
| Ulster unionists are aliens. How