Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Next Page
OCR
No. 20. Vol. 1
DUBLIN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 5. 1922
[PRICE ONE PENNY
%PECEAE.. WAR 1 NUMBER.
Why the Irregulars were
Attacked. ’
- The Fight against Brigandage.
“Defending the Republic by Looting”
Tm: struggle at present convulsing the country
is a struggle the Government of Ireland,
representing the people of Ireland, against open
brigandage and calculated anarc
yr months past bands of freebooters have
dominated many parts of the country. On the
plea that they were theheroic defenders of a
Republic which the majority of the Irish people
had foully determined to betray, they claimed
to be above all law and free from all control.
What they wanted they took at the point of the
revolver. Motors, provisions, clothing, houses,
land and money-all were seized by any gang of
desperadoes that chose to come together and
call themselves soldiers of the Irish Republic.
Shortly before the Collins-De Valera pact a
sum of $200,000 was stolen from Irish banks,‘
A. . . I ..a1r"ruv..aisui "CO! 1
longer be permitted to protect the perpetrators
of baro-faced robbery and looting. In some
cases, as in Kilkenny, where the freebooters
stole a large quantity of whiskey from a bonded
store, the National troops were authorised to
take action, and did so with success. A general
trial of strength between Anarchy and Govern-
ment was about to commence ; troops in Dublin
were ready to move against the Irregulars who
then held the Ballast Olhce. ,
Peace-makers brought about what has un-
fortunately proved to be only a postponement
of tho f-‘x ht.
The General Election gave the Government a
clear ‘nandate to carry through its Treaty
policy. The Irregulars, instead of wing to
the clearly expressed will of the people, recom-
menced their campaign of plunder, and when
the leader of a plundering expedition was ar-
rested, replied by seizing the Assistant Chief of
talf.
The Government had no alternative but to
, put forth its strength against these organised
bands, whose pretended Republicanism -only
manifested itself in the robbery and persecution
of unarmed Irish civilians.
The present fight is a fight against free looting.
It was not undertaken at the instance of any
Englishman.
"I reachery.
Would Pa-arse have done this 1-After the
expulsion of the Irrcgulars from the greater
part of the Four Courts, and while the fatal
mrrrnzlcr was being man ad, a mine was
trcachcrously exploded by Irregulars in a part
of the building held by Regular Troops, causing
thirty seriously wounded among the latter. ,
'oulrl Pearse have done this, Pearse whose
idea was samfz‘ce?
and the Government had come to the conclusion
.& - -v u----
bo. Pnansn would rcor ruvr: BONE ‘nus.
Establishing an Independent
Republic.
Easy to Create Turmoil.
Who will Keep the English out?
RoB.Y’s men have always stated in their adver-
tisements that with them would be found the
will and the way to get an Independent Irish
Re ublic immcdiatel .
ut they have been found unable to keep
their principal stronghold against the com-
paratively feeble resources ‘of the undeveloped
National Army for the short period of three
ys.
It certainly doesn‘t look as if they would be
able to make much of a fist of keeping the British
out.
There can he no free Irish Republic unless
We can keep the British out or have allies who
will help us to keep the British out.
It was a goo enough beginning to cripple
the British Governmental machine and to pro-
duce general turmoil. '1":-ta ne thinr- n cessarv
‘1ras’to“‘g’a."Ehe ‘arms 1 orce out. That has
already been done (to a large extent) through
the Treaty. . ,
The work before us is to find means of keeping
them out. When we have succeeded in that we
shall have got a Republic.
But Rory’s quaint way of working for a
Republic is to try to get the English back.
The idea is that when they come back we shall
all unite and go through years of bloodshed and
disorder until we get them somehow to go out
once more. '
At that stage the performance, if we have
another Rory, will be due to begin again.
The G.P.O. and the Four
Courts.
V One Little Difference.
Tm: “ hayroes " of the Four Courts have always
tried to put themselves on one plane with the
illustrious leaders of Easter Week. But the
events of the past few days have thrown such
a strong limelight on one little difference that
few can have failed to note it. The signatories
of 1016 Proclamation lmerv that they went
forward to certain death; the rank-and-file
also went out in the firm belief that they had
no chance of coming through alive. That was
heroism.
The participants in the Four Courts adventure
knew that, sheltered behind strong walls, very
few of them could be killed in action, and that
none of them would be executed afterwards.
That was not heroism.
Their girl friends think they were wonderful
fellows to have stood up against artillery for
sixty hours.
But there is no getting away from the cold
fact that not a singlo man of them sustained a
mortal woun
Heroic Face Saving.
The Game of “Follow my Leader."
Mn. Dr: VALEILA opposed the Treaty because
he felt that the most important of all things
was to sswe his own face. He recognised that
with our present strength to get an independent
Re ublic is impossible ; his recognition is written
in ocument No. 2, and in the oath which he
was Willing to take to King George as Hen
of the Associated States. But Mr. De Valera
objected to the Treaty because it did not leave
him room to pretend that in abandoning the
Republic he was only changing its name.
The document which has been published
under the name of Mr. Traynor in referencc
to the Four Courts surrender shows that Messrs.
0’Connor, Mellowes and Co. share the weakness
of their chief. When they found their position
untenable they surrenders in order to saw
their lives. Their surrender in the circum-
to Vvhitc a ridiculous epistle in which he alleged
that in order to preserve the Republic it was
necessary for them to surrender at once and
set the basic ing trmys free to operate elsewhere.
The chil like an charmin dishonesty ol
Mr. Traym r’s “ Order ” makes it something of
a .
The Red Cross.’
The Symbol of Humanity Abused.
Tm: Red Cross is the symbol of humanity, and
all over the world it is recognized as a sign that
those who display it are out to succour the
wounded on both sides, and that they are not
taking any part in military operations. All oycr
Dublin ut present the Red Cross is being abused
by the elements who are working to defeat the
National Troops and re-establish British rule
in Irclun .
Motors flying the Red Cross, but carrying
armed Irregulars, have been used to loot food-
stuffs and other goods from Dublin Traders.
Girls wearing Red Cross Armlets have served
threatening notices on Dublin newspapers.
A pretended nurse. attempting to enter the
Four Courts under the plea of humanity, was
found to be Tom Barry, an Irregular leader.
Irregulars have frequently fired on the Red
Cross Ambulances belonging to the National
Army-in at least one case-with fatal results.
On Saturday, at Jervis Street Hospital, an inquest
was held on Volunteer Thomas Hogan, a Red
Cross Ambulance driver. The Coroner said
that the firing on thc deceased was against all
the laws of civilized warfare. The car had a
large Red Cross flag in front and also a Red
Cross on each side. The Jury condemned the
shooting in the strongest manner. But the inn:
who are out to o pose the will of the Irish people
are not prepare to respect the Red Cross.
star‘ ces was neither unsoldierly nor dlscreditablc. ‘ "
But hoy hatL not the moimr. am a '-
up <Ttheir motive. So they got Mr. Tmyuor