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THE FENIAN
WAR ISSUE.--No. 5. TWO PENGE.
JULY 20th. Seventh Year of the Republic.
REPUBLICAN PLANS SUGGESED.
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FOUR COURTS SECRETS REVEALED.
FREE STATERS BURN SACKVILLE STREET.
The above headings are not new. They are the headings, printed in large type, with which the BELFAST NEWS-LETTER heads its principal news columns in its issue of July 14th. Owing to the Beggars Bush consorship it is almost impossible for the general public to get truthful news of the war and the present situation generally. Any news-published by the Republican Press is represented to be unreliable by the same consor. We therefore have sought to find some reports that we can lay before our readers coming from some outside countries onlooker. We have chosen the BELFAST NEWS-LETTER because it is well known to be very actively hostile to the Republican cause and a very fervid supporter of the Empire into which the Free States would have us march "with heads up "--and tails down.
The Slave State consor is so afraid that Ireland might learn something of the truth, even from English or Orange paper such as the BELFAST NEWS-LETTER, that there is a rigid bar against their entry into Southern Ireland. Never-the-less we have obtained some of them and we present one of their reports to our readers, where owing to its length we will have to issue it in instalaments. Below it is to long to give verbatim to will condense it, taking every care that there shall be no omission which will alter the sense.
QUOTED: We publish below from a special correspondent an exhaustive examination of the position of affairs in Southern Ireland, from which it will be seen that, SO FAR FROM BEING SO VIGORIOUS AS IT CLAIMS, THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT HAS A VERY SILENDER GRIP OF THE SITUATION WHICH, IN THE SOUTH, SOUTH-WEST AND WEST, IS DOMINATED BY THE REPUBLICANS.
THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN OF THE "IRREGULARS" IS CLEARLY WELL CONsidered and is apparently working out as it was intended. The surrounder of the Four Courts was agreed upon as a meeting in a Dublin Hotel, after the bombardment began; emissaries were sent to the Sout to raise the revolt there, and the Sackville Street fighting was undertaken in order to give further time for the plans to develop.
AT THE MOMENT THE REPUBLICANS HOLD THE WHOLE OF THE SOUTH AND WEST, EXCEPT THE COUNTIES OF DUBLIN, WICKLOW, WEXFORD, KINDARE and LONDON.
To meet the situation the Provisional Government is trying to raise an army to be led by Mr. Michael Collins, who will be associated with Richard Mulcaby and Owen O'Dully, in a military council.
Further down the report goes on:- "The series of victories that the Free State troops claim have left peace and order almost as far away as they were when RORY O'CONNOR slept peacefully o'nights within the four walls of the Four Courts. THE REAL STRUGGLE HAS YET TO COME AND THE TIGHTENING OF THE CENSORSHIP MAY BE TAKEN AS A SIGN THAT THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT NEARLY SO CONFIDENT OF THE RESULT AS IT PRETENDS TO BE. AND NO WONDER. IT IS FACED WITH EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS FACED WITH LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO AND ITS RESOURCES IN MEN AND MONEY ARE NOT NEARLY SO GREAT AS THOSE OF BRITAIN. I SHOULD NOT BE AT ALL SURPRISED IF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT FAILED JUST AS IGNOMINOUSLY AS MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S GOVERNMENT ----- AND WITH BETTER CAUSE.
-----The Free State forces struck the first blow AT A TIME WHEN THE MUTINEERS WERE UNPREPARED and thereby gained the initiative -----We were well schooled in the meaning and importance of the initiative during the war. Of the sixteen members of the irregular