New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol. 8, Pt. 2, No. 1, July 1918Various
History
New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol. 8, Pt. 2, No. 1, July 1918
Various
World War, 1914-1918
Current History Magazine for June contained a brief reference to the
arrest of leaders of the Sinn Fein movement in Ireland, May 18, 1918,
for being in treasonable communication with the Germans. Among the
leaders arrested was Professor Edward de Valera, President of the
Sinn Fein Society and a member of Parliament, who had refused to take
his seat; also George Noble Plunkett, a Count of Rome and Member of
Parliament; Mme. Markievicz, wife of a Polish Count; Arthur Giffith,
one of the founders of the Sinn Fein movement; William T. Cosgrove,
Treasurer of the Sinn Fein and Member of Parliament from Kilkenny City;
Joseph McGuinness, Member of Parliament for South Longford; Darrel
Figgis, an Irish poet; Dr. Richard Hayes, Herbert Mellowes, who led
the Sinn Fein rising in Galway in 1916; Professor Monaghan, President
of the local Sinn Fein Club at Drogheda; Pierce McCann, President of
the East Tipperary Sinn Fein Executive; Frank Drohan, President of
the Clonmel Sinn Fein Club; Dr. Thomas Dillon, Sean Milroy, and Sean
McEntee, members of the Sinn Fein Executive; George Nichols, Coroner
for the County of Galway, and Peter Hughes, Chairman of Dundalk Urban
Council and a prominent Sinn Feiner. In all sixty-nine were arrested
and imprisoned in England, not 500, as at first reported. The arrests
were made between midnight and dawn by domiciliary visits, and were
accomplished without any disorder, being a complete surprise.
OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION
Preceding the arrests the following proclamation was issued by Field
Marshal French, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland:
Whereas, It has come to our knowledge that certain subjects of his
Majesty the King domiciled in Ireland have conspired to enter into
treasonable communication with the German enemy; And whereas,
Such treachery is a menace to the fair name of Ireland and its
glorious military record--a record which is a source of intense
pride to a country whose sons have always distinguished themselves
and fought with such heroic valor in the past, in the same way
as thousands of them are now fighting in this war; And whereas,
Drastic measures must be taken to put down this German plot, which
measures will be directed solely against that plot,
Now, therefore, we, the Lord Lieutenant General and General
Governor of Ireland, have thought fit to issue this our
proclamation declaring, and it is hereby declared, as follows:
That it is the duty of all loyal subjects of his Majesty to assist
in every way his Majesty's Government in Ireland to suppress this
treasonable conspiracy, and to defeat the treacherous attempt of
the Germans to defame the honor of Irishmen for their own ends.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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