IRISH PROBLEM.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17155, 26 May 1921, Page 7

IRISH PROBLEM.

♦ THE ULSTER ELECTIONS. 4 ■ LEADEES' MESSAGES TO VOTEB& m- Cable—Prw» Aeeociatton-CopyrigjM.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received May 25th, 7.45 p.m.) v LONDON, May 24. The final preparations ' have been, made for the Ulster elections, and a xecord poll is anticipated. ,T% O campaign bos been ehort and sharp. I* *• g eneraUv recognised that the isane of the elections is the British connexion against Sinn Fein. Sir James Craig, leader of the Ulster Unionists in a final message, appealed to the'loyal« sts to shatter their enemies' hope of establishing a republic. The working-class districts are a. blaze of colour. Union Jackß are everywhere, and Hie lamp-posts have been painted red white, and blue. There is occasional stone-throwing, but cenerailv order is well preserved. Mr de Valera telegraphed to the Ulster voters as follows: "The politicians sav the Irish problem is not solvable, but you plain people can solve it to-morrow at the polling booth by making a genuine people's peace and a united Irish nation."

HEAVY POLLING. ■ WILD SCENES IN BELFAST. ("Th» Timm,") (Received May 25th, IO.STp.m.) .. -I** oo -LONDON, May. 24. Later reports from Belfast discloso r'.int wild scenes of rioting and intimidation have occurred, and it is feared there will be a heavy casualty' list. \bvny voters were shot, stabbed, or clubbed, and taxi-cabs and motor-cars wore wrecked. . The polling hooths -were guarded by ' armed police, while troops were held in readiness to deal with the rioting. The streets were continually patrolled by a fleet of armoured cars. Partisans camo into conflict at a number % of . booth*, where queues four deep extending for hundreds of yards, and including many women, were lined up waiting for the opening. ... There was a serious affray at the Saunders street'booth, where seven antipartitionists were stabbed and beaten ISoy were removed to hospital. Two policemen attempting.to interfere were driven off with bottles and stones.

Remarkable scenes were witnessed in a number of streets which were half hung with Union Jnoks and half with, rebel (fttiblems, while groups of working women, gaily adorned with flags, made demonstrations, singing election songs. Even the dogs were decorated, wdule effigies were hung from street lamp-posts, c Acute tension prevails, and there are fears of further lawlessness this evening. (Received May 25th, 12.10 a.m.) LONDON, May 25, Foiling has closed, In Belfast it u estimated thai 80 per cent, voted in all districts, and in some cases 95 per cent The women voters were particularly energetic ' Three spirit shops were looted and a few civilians with broken scalps were treated in the hospitals, but considering ' the excitement good order was maintained. REIGN OF FORCE.

MURDER, ARSON, AND ROBBERY.

* .LONDON, May 23, H '-Four of ihoaiight staff of the Cork -> » WBcaminer" were leaving the office in ~ tis early morning when a civilian throw t f 4somb at the group. Two—'Walsh and , * received terrible injuries) and . " !srtlr condition is precarious. r - -""Six lorries containing troops and *0 Sltm Femers came into collision near ,* Tnurles. One Sinn Foiner was killed i* and two dangerously wounded. Two '■* soldiers were killed and a number or n ** civilians who were in the line of fire | >.** wounded. I >■ firmed men entered the Sheroock ■n * (CoVan) branch of the Northern Bank,, \» ■* the manager and cashier with | l s -ropee, and ransacked the premises. They /t » JsooJßred £4OOO, and escaped in motor'i vpnroy, secifcCary of the local branch «/- otwfe Irish Self-Detennination League, s!!>. ,aM *ismWßp& MoAlwikon, w«e -i If fire to boat-buua-lyallsend-on-Trae. Both >T. L wneti caught - Royal Irish Constabu. f comprising an inspector and "*" *4pP e * n *? a * lB J encountered thirty <irm- ' eo7qivillftns i 'at Skirdagh, County Mayo. Asv*4>qu> fight followed, in which the /insrieotofjWfts wounded and a constable f * _ killed. > Another constable galloped un» i, ,der fire to Newport for reinforcement*. ' £Tbßto£outflanked the rebels who fled &4 H™ 1 another half-hour.. tth" r £bree hundred' Sinn Femers captured ,s-.i <the Ullage of-Kilmanagh, County BUI. ,U ' jkennjE/ and fortified several houses, but ,- whenLwarted 4bat the police were comfailed, and they fled. pursued them, and shot < ' armed SiiwuFeiner* at Castle M J»wihn»,tKerrx, f overtook six unarm. * j*& soldjaraout.foT a walk, two escaped '■>' ant to sea. The other Kjur were placed with their backs to a 'ditchand opld Mood. A rescue .parMifonni-one with a bullet wound , neck, but still alive, ",» \Fom,pinn + Feinerß dragged a shoel of .flu* ionae, near Cavan, -,' andinddbd him with thirteen bullets. ■> K notice to the body: f LR.A." OF CROWN FORGES. v<ls &■» w*"—■ » ; , -";• fglvmVXBX DEMANDED. * (Reo&iwoVMay 85th, 7.45 p.m.) $ > v<< 7 *s t LONDON* May 24. |. J .-tjW^l'Di3y^News , '.publßheß a sumhe outlines specific llMagainst the Crown Forces in Ireland ampuring his'oommand'- of the auxiliary |^^viaon ? f ot,jbheiJßpysl Irish Constabu-, Crower stated that lughlyjfMsMMo: petsonages at Dublin Castle were huahing-up evidence ?*v>s*'Slrt l v ro wn.«'Forces in several murder News" demands the ap\j.vTOnlttee to investigate the charges. House of Commons, Sir Hamar "f •ir^rT Chief Secretary for Ire- , to a question, said Gene- «,- allegations referred to a b 'WP^^* inn S I'm command of the AuxJForces, when he was responsible s•*. KijfflWßcipline. m lf General Crosier pro- - du<«ds supporting evidence 4ns charges TOnJby bo considered. It was untrue £ < -that' General Crozier was forced to re- " * ,Ba s^* 1180 no was ter nu"ned to en- & ■> loroejadiscipline, which had improvou> & . sihcefhui resignation. h * i tl:-" , j?£t* ne Hon-ae> of Commons on March |, Redmond (Nationalist, &+ j «*te*ford) moved the adjournment of (J ** the House to call tho attention to the 4v control of Wsh administration, and the A t resignation of General Crouer, com- & .mandAnt of the Auxiliary Division of m |ne Royai, ,Imk--. Constabulary. On W two cadets informed Geote of sona-dMmsoalal looting

that had taken place near Trim. An enquiry held by General Crozier proved that looting had taken place, and General Tudor, Chief of the Police in Ireland, on hearing the facts, agreed that those guilty of the indiscipline should be punished by dismissal. A few hours later General Tudor wrote to G^ 6 ™ Crozier saying he thought it would be best if the latter kept the thirty temporary cadets until he returned to Dublin. According to Captain Redmond the gravamen of the whole case was that the superior authority with regard to the auxiliaries decided, on political grounds—not on questions w discipline or military law —to go back on the decision he had reached with General Crozier. Sir Hamar Greenwood, Chief Secretary for Ireland, defended General Tudor. Five cadets were still under arrest, and would be tried by «mrt~ martial. General Crozier had further proposed to dismiss some twenty-six of the rank and file who were implicated. He regretted that there were no records of General Crozir's investigation. There was a conflict of evidence between General Crozier and General Tudor. One said there was a proper trial. General Tudor and he were convinced there was no such thing as a trial. He could not see how it was possible to hold an adequate trial of twenty-six cadets in three and a half hours.

"I submit," continued Sir Hamar, ''that there is no evidence, and no suggestion, except that founded on malice, to accuse me of any political motive, or interest even, in this matter.- (Cheers.) My only interest is in the interests '» the sternest discipline. I have never suggested anything political to Sir Nevil Maoready or to General Tudor, and, moreover, I am sure that if I did neither of those officers would tolerate it for a moment." (Loud cheers.) Ho hoped this incident of General Crofier ■would not cause the House to lose the perspective of the realities of the Irish situation. (Cheers.) Breaches of discipline would be dealt with. The realities of the Irish situation remained. THE CASE OP ESMONDS. VANCOUVER. May.23. Thomas Esmonde, the Sinn Fein envoy, wna tried at the assizer on a charge of having used seditious language. The jury disagreed.