Tag: 100 Years Ago

26 MARCH 1923

The Prussian Government took firm action to suppress a conspiracy movement that was attempting to overthrow it, with fears in Berlin that there might be a coup d’etat in Prussia. The revolt against the Government was being led by Adolf Hitler who had battalions which were undertaking manoeuvres in Munich.

Kevin O’Higgins, the Minister for Justice of the Irish Free State, said that the Government would protect places of amusement in Ireland following threats of attack by the Irregulars.

Farm workers in Norwich declared a strike after failing to reach an agreement as to hours and wages.

25 MARCH 1923

The press reported that the Government was under pressure to leave Iraq as the cost of maintaining a presence in the area was high.

A number of cinemas in Dublin were attacked after Republicans demanded that they closed because of recent executions of members of the Irregulars.

There were nine wards up for election on Leyton Urban District Council, with Labour losing two of them to the Ratepayers’ Association.

24 MARCH 1923

The German authorities arrested a number of nationalist plotters.

A debate took place in the Dáil Éireann, the Irish Parliament, on whether a customs duty should be imposed on British car exports.

The Government said that since the end of the First World War Britain had scrapped 2.25 million tonnes of battle shipping.

23 MARCH 1923

Lord Newton led a debate in the House of Lords regarding a reduction in the size of the Upper Chamber and a discussion was had about a reform of the Lords. Lord Curzon questioned the hereditary principle, saying that two thirds of the Peers who had a right to sit in the Lords had little interest in the work that was carried out.

The negotiations between the National Liberals and the Independent Liberals on a view to reunion of the parties broke down.

Wilhelm Cuno, the German Chancellor, urged those in the French occupied Ruhr Valley to continue a process of passive resistance.

22 MARCH 1923

A debate took place in the House of Lords on the country’s preparedness in the matter of air defence.

The Royal Commission on London Government rejected the scheme for one central administration of local governance in the capital, but recommended an equalisation of rates over urban areas within ten miles of Charing Cross.

The Minister of Labour set up a committee to look into the present conditions as to the supply of domestic female servants.

21 MARCH 1923

Following opposition from the Government, Earl Beauchamp withdrew his Parliamentary Election Bills which would have introduced the principle of the alternative vote.

The results of the national strike vote of members of the Builders Unions were published, with 42,606 voting to accept the terms and 140,952 voting against.

The Irregulars tried to destroy the residence of Maurice Healy, the brother of the Governor-General of the Irish Free State Tim Healy, saying that it was a reprisal for recent executions in Cork. The occupants were able to put the fire out after the arsonists had fled, restricting the damage to two rooms.

20 MARCH 1923

A new political organisation was established in the Irish Free State which sought to support the Government.

17,000 miners in South Wales went on strike over the question of non membership of a trade union, with 67,000 men potentially being ultimately involved.

There was a large majority in the building trade ballot who supported strike action.

The French Government said that they were not seeking hegemony in the Ruhr Valley, just security and an agreement for the Germans to pay war reparations.

20 tons of surplus fish was destroyed at Edinburgh fish market as the railways refused to transport it south.

Ben McCarthy, reported as a 16 year old boy, was taken from his home in Ardagh, Bantry and executed by four members of the Irregulars who wanted reprisals for executions which had taken place of their members across the Irish Free State. [further information at https://www.ucc.ie/en/theirishrevolution/collections/cork-fatality-register/register-index/1923-28/]

19 MARCH 1923

Andrew Bonar Law, the Prime Minister, responded to a deputation that met him that there would be no public subsidy for the agriculture industry.

Joseph Smeets, a leading Rhineland separatist, was attacked and seriously wounded in Cologne.

The Unionist Party selected Richard Owen Roberts as their candidate for the forthcoming Anglesey by-election.

18 MARCH 1923

The French Government confirmed that around 40 soldiers were killed in a railway crash in the occupied Ruhr Valley.

Boilermakers were instructed by their union executive not to take part in a ballot of shipyard workers and the union planned to withdraw from the Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades Federation pending a vote of their membership.

James Donovan, a member of the Irregulars who was known as the “director of chemicals”, was arrested by Irish police.

17 MARCH 1923

In a bid to prevent the growing number of acts of sabotage on the railways in the French occupied Ruhr Valley, the French authorities started to place German civilians on trains.

A ballot of workers in the building trade voted in support of strike action.

The Irish Government said that they had arrested ten senior members of the Irregulars in Cork. The announcement came after three houses had been burnt by the Irregulars in the Bandon area of the city.

It was proposed in the House of Commons that eggs should be date stamped.