§ 64. Sir CYRIL COBBasked the Home Secretary whether he has any information with regard to the number of branches of the Irish Self-Determination League in London and throughout the country; what does he estimate to be the number of adherents; whether the meetings are open to the public; whether his officers have been able to obtain access to the meetings, and, if so, what is the nature of the propaganda; and if any of the leaders have been arrested during the recent police raids?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Shortt)I am informed that in March last the number of branches, large and small, of this league in England and Wales was about 200, 32 of them being London branches, but that since then their number and the membership, which was about 18,000, have considerably decreased. The meetings are usually open to the public. The opinions of prominent members of the organisation in regard to the Treaty differ, and the propaganda 360 of the league has therefore assumed a restricted character, and is not necessarily objectionable. Some of the men detained after the recent police raids are known to be members of the league.