THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 February 1922, Page 1

THE IRISH PROBLEM.

lirsTli.vLlAN AND N.Z. OABI/B ASSOI j..jTON

RAIDS IN ULSTER

GUERILLA FIGHTING

LONDON, February 8

Ulster is in a state of excitement over the raids, which extended for 40 miles. As all the telegraph wires had been . previously cut, the raiders were able i to parry out operations without interruptions for a long time. There is the gravest fear in Ulster of reprisals on a wholesale scale. Affrays were commenced' bv a large party, qf •well-armed Republicans crossing frorti County Monaghan for the purpose of seizing the : Ulster Special constables as a reprisal ; for the arrest at Dromore several weeks ago of eleven members of the Monaghan Gaelic football team, when going to Derry to play a match. The fighting commenced when a band of Republicans met a tender containing Ulster “specials”. who were called upon to bait and did so; but they at tbo ! same time opened tiro, which was returned, some of the “specials” being wounded. Cooper and his friend EH'!ott put up a most vigorous fight and put tlie raiders to flight. Their pluck was the chief cause of the police capturing the eleven raiders. ' S'r Josslyn, Booth, who was captured, is tlie father of Countess Markievicz, ’ the ginn Feiner though he himself is a Unionist. | There were similar raids in Donegal, 1 where tlie Sinn. Feiners kidnapped. Major Miles, a holder of tlie Military Cross. , . , , , ' When the Ulster “specials” heard ,of the outrages, they sent motor cars and lorries in all directions to. cut off ’the raiders as they returned across the frontier.

A party of six’ .men at Belcoe, .in Fermanagh, pluclrily stopped four motor ears filled with armed men who fixed on the police. The latter returned the fire, badly wounding a raider. Ine farmers in Clogher Valley are arming and mobilising to protect their lives and property. A telegram states that a large number of farmers and their, sons in Cloirher have already been carried off.

STATEMENT TN PARLIAMENT. TENDON, February 8. Mr Austen Chamberlain, in the House of Commons, read the following message from Ulster Government: Large bands have crossed the frontier into Counties Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh, and occupied the houses of leading citizens on the Ulster side of the boundary. Numerous leading citizens, including the High Sheriff, have been wounded or kidnapped and taken across the border to the south, the captures including 20 Ulster special constables. The raiders blew up bridges The Ulster police captured raiders, armed with bombs and revolvers, who were identified, as members of .the . Republican. Army. Mr Chamberlain said that directly he received this message the Cabinet met and decided to telegraph Mr Collins and the General Commanding the British troops in Ireland. , The telegram to Mr Collins thus read: * Herewith is the telegram received from the prime Mnister of Northern Ireland. If anything approximating to this has happened, His Majesty’s Government will take the gravest view of the situation. Such acts are a breach of the truce, and will gravely. imperil the Treaty., I will be glad to hear immediately that you are taking steps to ensure, the release of the prisoners and provide against a recurrence of these grave outrages.

ULSTER BACKED UP. The telegram to the Commander in Chief read as follows: You will of course give the Northern Government all necessary aid in defence of the northern boundary, nnrli will not hesitate to ask for reinforcemenst if necessary. We have called on the Provisional Government to release the prisoners, and the troops in Northern Ireland will act in support of civil authority there in defence of the existing Ulster frontier, until a new one lias been established, whenever the Government of Northern Ireland requests their assistance. Mr Chamberlain added that he could not usefully add to the statement until the Government’s information wa s more complete. One reason was they wanted a Bill giving legal authority to the. Irish Provisional Government, so that that Government may control the disorderly elements, both economic or political, within its own boundaries. It was a matter of urgency, that the Rill should he passed, in order to enable the Government to have authority to punish the cases where the law was broken.

WHY RAIDS WERE MADE. LONDON, February 9. In the House of Commons, Mr Churchill said the Government had receiv;ed a telegram from Mr Michael Oolllins, in reply to the Government’s message, Mr Collins had replied that the outbreak in Ulster was not due to the |question of the boundary dispute, but '.it was due to anxiety and apprehension that is felt regarding the fate of Ithe Derry prisoners who are under sentence of death. Mr Collins says He has made special efforts to prevent these acts of violence, although he was not aware of the act of clemency since taking place regarding the Derry prisoners. Air Churchill added that the Irish Provisional Government had assured them that it was doing everything it possibly could to ensure the safety of those paptured, and of their early release. Mir Churchill did not' pretend- this was a satisfactory" incident. Tlie House, however, would make a great" mistake if f it supposed-that with in the next few months they would ’have pothingi. but “satisfactory” incidents to disoues.

ULSTER PLATOONS OUT. LONDON, February 8. There are Ulster, mobile platoons scouring the country. They are hunting for raiders. The attacks on leading Unionists in Tyrone and Fermanagh were organised and carried over a wide area this morning. ULSTER READY FOR WAR. LONDON, February 8. ; Sir Jas Craig has sent a message stat- ‘ ing the Government of Ulster has arranged for an immediate distribution of arms to protect the Ulster bordei. He states that outrages have strengthened the determination of Ulster to hold what it has.

IRISH FREE STATE. LONDON, February 8. Rt Hon. A. Chamberlain, Leader of the House q{ Commons, will introduce the Irish Bill to-morrow. TORY PEERS’ VIEWS. LONDON, February 9. Lord Londonderry (Ulster Unionist) moved an amendment in the House of Lords to the Address-in-Reply regretting, that the Government had not given Ulster an assurance that her area would be maintained, whatever might be agreed on regarding the Irish Free State. He said Ulster was determined to resist an y encroachment. A situation would now arise, indistinguishable from . civil war. Lord Carson said: “The joy bells over the Irish settlement have stopped ringing.” The raids had brought them face to face with realities in the situation. It was an invasion that meant that the Government had laid down that way to get what they wanted in Ireland. Lord Birkenhead reproved Lord Carson’s tone. Tt was one unlikely to assist to-wards the desired settlement. Lord Birkenhead said he was unable to believe the raiders were under the orders of the Irish Provisional Governmen. Tf some part of the 0,000 Trish Republican Army’s troops got out of hand, he said, it was a regrettable and serious thing, but it was not a surprising one. Lord Grey said he approved the Irish settlement, but thought difficulties arose because Sinn Fein did not trust the Government. Ulster felt itself betrayed. He said: “Personally, I think Ulster has been badly treated. The Government has kept its promise to the letter, but it has broken it in sjAifit.” He urged the Government to clear up any ambiguity in the Treaty. Lord Londonderry’s amendment was negatived by 46 to 39. The address was then agreed to. ONE HUNDRED KIDNAPPED. LONDON, Fob 9. , The kidnapped Loyalists total nearly 100. Tn Tyronne these outrages wove of a particularly determined character. Strong bodies operated over widely separated .areas, one being directed against Montray, the Grandmaster of the Tyronne Orangemen, who is 80 years of age, but lie put up stout resistance. :though practically unaided. Ho foil-' 1 desperately and was wounded before ■being captured. At least 14 prominent Ulstermen were kidnapped. Ulster police are scouring this district, but their lmnds are tied as they will not be allowed to cross the border into County Monaghan. During the night bands of young men in motor cars kidnapped a. number of Sligo Ulstermen, including Booth (as reported). Those captured in Sligo are reported to have been since released. PRESS COMMENTS. LONDON. Feb. 9. The London “Daily Chronicle” urges it cannot be supposed Mr Griffiths or Mr Collins approved of the raid. It : is evident that some local units got beyond control. They committed a crime against unity in Ireland. Tlie South can never conquer Ulster by force.

The “Daily Express” says it cannot be expected that Ulster will take this lying down. The dread' spectre of civil war may well re-appenr.

FEVER HEAT IN IRELAND. •• 1 .* n~ (Reeeivod This Dny at 9.5 n.m.i LONDON, February 9. Ulster is concentrating a large force of police on the southern frontier, whore five thousand are already posted. Dublin reports state the most prominent nationalist journals denounce raids as indefensible though they condemn the belated announcement that the Derry prison murderers had been reprieved. v . (' . The “Trish Times”, says the shootings seizures in, Fermanagh and kidnapping in Sligo i)i;e heartbreaking acts of folly and wickedness. The, Provisional Government must try to appreciate Ulster’s feeling of anger and resentment, and Sir J. Craig must make every possible allowance for the Provisional Governemnt’s difficulties. It has worked hard in many directions but has not jyet' been able to. establish real authority and has not had time to replace the British machinery of law with the effective machinery of its own.