SINN FEIN PLOTS IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND. TO CRIPPLE MANCHESTER. LIVERPOOL’S DOCK GATES.

During the Irish debate in the House of Commons yesterday the Chief Secretary referred to Sinn Fein plots to destroy certain English public undertakings necessary for the well-being of the community. A captured Sinn Fein document reveals diabolical schemes for wrecking huge power stations and the gates of many docks in Liverpool and the big power-house in Stuart-street, Manchester. It is significant that the criminal who drafted the Manchester report states that “without this station Manchester would shut down, as all the furnaces are worked by electric blast; there would be no coal without the mines, which are supplied from this station, not to mention the damage done by water for want of pumps.”

At Liverpool it was proposed to destroy four power stations and to wreck a number of dock gates and the apparatus for opening and closing them, so as to allow water to rush into the Mersey and seriously damage vessels in the docks. The schemes are reported on in elaborate detail, the amount of “g” (gelignite) required and the strength of the parties necessary to carry them out being given. The document below sets out details of the Liverpool plot:

Much of the information supplied by the other side is incorrect. It was impossible to get into the power stations, and it was also found that many of the outer docks had two or three gates. In its main features, the scheme as outlined by your friend “T. K.” can be carried out. It will, of course, be impossible to make a clean sweep of the whole line of docks. If men and material are available a large amount of work can be done, but the amount to be done must be regulated by these conditions. I submit a scheme for dealing with 21 points. This scheme involves the use of 800lb of “g,” 23 engineers, 75 rank and file, and about 20 others, 98 revolvers.

The scheme is carried out as follows: 1. Dislocation of telephone communication. 2. Holding up all Dock Board police. 3. The opening of inner gates by means of the pumps. 4. Demolition of these pumps, four in number. 5. Demolition of eight gates. The pumps used for opening the gates are a different set from those used for pumping water into the docks. It is necessary to open the inner gates before blowing up the outer. There are four power stations containing pumps for the opening of the gates. These pumps could be destroyed by the use of 200lb of “g,” four engineers, 20 rank and file, and 24 revolvers.

For the whole job as outlined I estimate the total number of men required is 23 officers, 27 engineers, and 75 rank and file. If it is not considered feasible to carry out such a large operation as outlined, a portion might be selected from the schedule attached hereto. For instance, it might be decided to tackle only the Canada Dock. This would only require 100lb of “g,” say 10 men, or perhaps two or three docks might be tackled requiring a proportionate number of men and material; but in any event I would strongly recommend that the four power stations be dealt with.