into the Spirit of Empire.

As to Kerry, it was looked upon as being "rotten" with Sinn Fein, and
had there been a rising, these men would undoubtedly have marched to the
help of their Cork brethren.

The theory of the Kerry correspondent of the _Times_ is that the South
was awaiting the advent of Sir Roger Casement, who was to have invaded
Ireland with a fleet of battle cruisers and an army of 40,000 men, but
this ended in as complete a fiasco as the landing of Napper Tandy at
Rutland or Wolf Tone in Lough Swilly in 1798.

The rising, however, was not strictly speaking dependent on Sir Roger
Casement at all: indeed, as afterwards appeared, he had himself tried to
stop the rising by saying that German help had failed.

It appears, moreover, that in Dublin the heads of the Irish Volunteers
had long since come under the strong personal influence of the heads of
the Citizen Army, and it was these latter who forced the pace; and in
admitting this, one is forced to conclude that the rising was as much
socialistic and economic as national. This, too, would explain why it
was almost entirely confined to Dublin. For only in about three or four
other places in Ireland were there risings of any note, and even these
were comparatively unimportant: though, of course, there is no knowing
to what proportions they might not have swelled had the risings in Kerry
and Cork been carried out.

The Volunteers of Swords, for example, who only began activities about
seven o'clock on the Wednesday morning, commenced by a capture of the
barracks and post office, both of which were in their possession by
about 8.30.

Their _coup_ was a minor replica of the Dublin affray. Two of their
leaders, a doctor and a school-teacher, rode up in a motor-car as if
paying a harmless call, and then suddenly produced revolvers and covered
the sergeant, who was standing at the door, saying at the same time: "We
want no trouble, but the arms and ammunition you have in the barracks."

At the same moment about fifty other Volunteers closed in from behind,
with the result that the three unfortunate policemen could do nothing
but surrender, and the booty was distributed amongst the unarmed
Volunteers, and whatever was over stored for any recruits the valour of
this exploit might bring to the new colours.

The door of the post office was next charged at by three of the
strongest of the Volunteers, but being ajar, was consequently entered in
the most undignif