§ Colonel ASHLEY (by Private Notice)asked the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland whether he can give the House any information about the raid by 50 armed men on the General Post Office, Dublin, this morning; what was the object of the raid; and were any soldiers or police stationed in the building?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODI have received the following wire from the Chief Commissioner of the Dublin Metropolitan Police:
At 7.10 a.m. to-day, 15th instant, about 22 armed men entered the Sorting and Mails Department, General Post Office, at Rotunda Rink, Dublin. They held up all the officials and went to the Shute Department Section in the centre of the building and took away the following bags of correspondence. A bag for Secretary, General Post Office. Several bundles of letters for the Accountant, General Post Office. A pouch for the Registrar-General. A sorting box for the 2571 Engineer, General Post Office. A bag for the Local Government Board. A bag for the Surveyor of Taxes, Beresford Place. A bag for the Under-Secretary's Office. Two bundles containing about 50 letters for the Royal Irish Constabulary. One hundred miscellaneous letters for Dublin Castle. Eighty letters for the Vice-Regal Lodge. A bag for the General Prisoners Board. A bag for the Cashier, Irish Command. Three men carried the letters and bags to a motor car which was in waiting at the western side of the square outside the office. A large bag containing the correspondence for the Royal Irish Constabulary was lying on the floor partly under a table in the State Letter Department, and was apparently unnoticed by the raiders. The raiders remained ten minutes in the building, and left at 7.22 a.m. on a signal given by the leader, who blew a whistle. He was the last to leave the premises. He ticked off his men as they left. The premises are entered by gates at the eastern and western sides of the Rotunda, and the raid was carried out simultaneously at each side, the raiders driving the officials into the building before them, and most of them displaying formidable-looking revolvers. When they entered they immediately took possession of the telephones and emergency switches in the building, and so prevented any information being conveyed until the raid was completed. The Superintendent was at his post, and immediately after their leaving telephoned to the police. At the time of the raid there were in all about 150 officials, including postmen and overseers in the premises.
§ Colonel ASHLEYThere being no guard there, will the hon. Baronet take steps to have a guard in future, and, further, has he any reason to suppose that there was collusion with those inside the Post Office?
§ Sir H. GREENWOODAs to the second part of the question, I can make no reflection on the service without evidence. As to the part concerning the guard, one of the difficulties in Ireland is to guard all public premises, having regard to the number of constables and military at the disposal of the Irish Government.
§ Sir J. BUTCHERIn view of the importance of a great building like the Post Office, will the right hon. Gentleman see that there is an adequate guard, either of police or of military, in order to protect the public against these marauders?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat is the same question that has already been answered.