“There was no conference at all about the state of the country or about Sinn Fein.  When once or twice in casual consultation the matter came up—­I hope the House will listen to this—­I did not hesitate to say what in my opinion ought to be done in certain cases by the Government.  For example, I expressed a strong view to them as to how they should deal with seditious newspapers and with prosecutions.  What I did suggest, they never did; what I said they ought not to do, they always did.  And I want to say something further.  They never gave me any information, bad or good, about the state of the country.  From first to last I never saw one single confidential Government report from the police or from any other source.  I know nothing whatever about their secret confidential information.”

It is fair to add that the Under-Secretary was in communication from time to time with other members of the party, who were of course in touch with Redmond.  But the substantial accuracy of Redmond’s statement is sufficiently evidenced by one fact.  Everybody knew that Sir Roger Casement was in Berlin and had tried—­most unsuccessfully—­to recruit an Irish Brigade from among the Irish prisoners.  But neither Redmond nor any Irish member knew that from April 17th Dublin Castle had warning that a ship was on its way from Germany with rifles.  The Navy was on the alert, and when the Aud came off Fenit, in Kerry, on Good Friday morning, she was promptly challenged.[7] But in the dark hours of that morning she had landed Sir Roger Casement and his two confederates, one of whom was arrested with him the same day.  On Saturday morning Government decided to take action against what was now clearly a rebel organization.  But as the Chief Secretary and the General Commanding in Chief were both in London, and as the available force of men in Dublin was small, a postponement was decided on.  No special precautions appear to have been taken against the contingency of an immediate rising.  On Monday a very large proportion of the officers from the Curragh and the Dublin garrison were at the Fairyhouse races.  In the Castle itself there was only the ordinary guard.

Redmond at this date was also in London.  His lack of apprehension is sufficiently indicated by the fact that his son and daughter were both at the races, and drove up unknowingly to an armed barricade.  Had he been in authority and known, as the Government knew on Saturday, that the Irish Volunteers expected and had arranged for the landing of a heavy cargo of arms on Good Friday, and that a general parade of their men had been ordered for Easter, I hope that he would have either had troops in the utmost readiness to move, or have put strong guards in places of importance.  But this is a futile speculation, for had he been in power the situation would never have arisen.