IRISH FREE STATE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 20, 20 December 1932, Page 7

IRISH FREE STATE

REPUBLICAN ARMY. MR DE VALERA ATTACKED. REPUBLIC ADVOCATED. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received December 20, 10.20 a.m. LONDON, Dec. 19. The Dublin correspondent of tho Evening News says that the Republican Army is violently attacking Mr de Valera owing to his refusal to intervene in connection with the sentence passed on two members of the Republican Army for attempting to damage premises during the enforcement of the anti-British Deer boycott. Accused refused to recognise the Court, whereupon Judge Davitt, son of tho famous Michael Davitt, invoked the Cosgrave “Coercion Act” and ordered a month’s imprisonment for contempt. The Republican Army organised a protest meeting, at which the speakers declared that they had no further use for Mr de Valera and urged the use of force to establish a republic. Judge Davitt is heaviljj guarded.

Mr Michael Davitt, who was one of the best known of the Irish leaders of last century, was born in 1846 in the village of Strude, County Mayo. In 1866 he joined the Irish revolutionary movement and in 1870 was arrested in London, tried on an indictment of “treason-felony” and sentenced to 15 years’ penal servitude. He was released after 7\ years. In 1879, in conjunction with Mr Parnell and others, he founded the Land League organisation, and became its leading spirit, being imprisoned again on subsequent occasions.