▁independently ▁of ▁both ▁the ▁Vol unte er ▁Executive ▁and ▁the ▁IR B ▁Executive . ▁Although ▁the ▁Vol unte er ▁and ▁IR B ▁leaders ▁were ▁not ▁against ▁a ▁rising ▁in ▁principle , ▁they ▁were ▁of ▁the ▁opinion ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁opport une ▁at ▁that ▁moment . ▁Vol unte er ▁Chief - of - St aff ▁E oin ▁Mac Ne ill ▁supported ▁a ▁rising ▁only ▁if ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁attempted ▁to ▁suppress ▁the ▁Vol unte ers ▁or ▁introduce ▁cons cription , ▁and ▁if ▁such ▁a ▁rising ▁had ▁some ▁chance ▁of ▁success . ▁IR B ▁President ▁Den is ▁McC ull ough ▁and ▁prominent ▁IR B ▁member ▁Bul mer ▁Hob son ▁held ▁similar ▁views . ▁The ▁Military ▁Council ▁kept ▁its ▁plans ▁secret , ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁British ▁authorities ▁learning ▁of ▁the ▁plans , ▁and ▁to ▁th wart ▁those ▁within ▁the ▁organisation ▁who ▁might ▁try ▁to ▁stop ▁the ▁rising . ▁IR B ▁members ▁held ▁officer ▁rank ▁in ▁the ▁Vol unte ers ▁throughout ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁took ▁their ▁orders ▁from ▁the ▁Military ▁Council , ▁not ▁from ▁Mac Ne ill . ▁ ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁Roger ▁Cas ement ▁and ▁Cl an ▁na ▁G ael ▁leader ▁John ▁De voy ▁met ▁the ▁German ▁amb assador ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Johann ▁Heinrich ▁von ▁Bern stor ff , ▁to ▁discuss ▁German ▁backing ▁for ▁an ▁u pr ising . ▁Cas ement ▁went ▁to ▁Germany ▁and ▁began ▁negoti ations ▁with ▁the ▁German ▁government ▁and ▁military . ▁He ▁persu aded ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁to ▁announ