CABLE NEWS. THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 February 1922, Page 2

CABLE NEWS.

THE IRISH PROBLEM.

CbT TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION] BRITISH MILITARY RETAINED^

IN SOUTHERN IRELAND. if • LONDON, Februa^U^ The military garrison at West Cork have received orders cancelling their departure, which had been arranged for to-day. Their stores and equipment have been retransferred 'Uack to their barracks.

The evacuation of the British, troops torn Dublin has also been suspended.

LONDON, February 13. In the House of Commons Rt. Hoi?" Mr Churchill said that the (British Government had informed Sir James Craig (Ulster Premier) that the troops in Ulster will be- reinforced to 'anjv-y

extent that may be necessary to preserve law and order. At the same time they had appealed to "Sir James Craig to take effective steps to prevent any reprisals in Ulster or any irregular actions- on his side of the frontier.

COLLINS PUNISHES THIEVES. LONDON, Feb. 14. Mr Michael Collins has telegraphed to Mr Churchill:—“l have just been informed that we have captured three of those who! were responsible for the death of Lieutenant Morgan Brown (cabled on Feb. 10th). You may rely that those whom we can prove guilty will be suitably dealt with. Both civilian and soldier have eo-operated in tracking down those responsible for, .. this abominable action.” DE VALERA’S CAMPAIGN. The head of the Irish Government, Mr A. Griffith to-night issued an official reply to Mr de Valera, pointing out that the Irish Treaty only gave the same recognition to the British Crown as that which Mr de Valera himself proposed. NEW YORK, Feb. 13. Mr Michael Kelly (Secretary of the New York Headquarters of the American Association for the recognition of the Irish Republic) has received a cablegram from Mr De Valera, asking that funds should be collected in America to finance his campaign in. opposition to the Irish. Provisional Government’s policy. MORE BELFAST DISTURBANCES. LONDON, February 13. The disturbances in Belfast continued throughout the forenoon of Monday.

Two men, named Leary and Gregg were shot dead; Several others were wounded. An extensive sawmill at Ballina has been maliciously destroyed by fire. The local Commandant of the I.R.A.

lias proclaimed martial law in the Crossmolina area, v \

The sniping was continued in Belfast on Monday night. A bomb was thrown near York Road police barracks which killed two children and wounded 14 others, three of whom are not expected to live. ( A Belfast message reports that the situation there is- so critical that tlj* authorities have reimposed the Curfew?/ Seven have been killed and 20 more * wounded between midnight and six in X the morning, mostly due to the snipers. One man, however, was killed sitting at home rocking a baby’s cradle and the child narrowly escaped.

CIVIL WAR ANTICIPATED. LONDON, February 14. “The situation throughout Ireland,' not only in Ulster, is of the gravest,” says the London “Daily Telegraph’s” Belfast, correspondent . He continues: —“We are sititng on the edge .of a volcano. The sooner that the Government and the English people realise the position, the better will be the prospect of averting danger. Almost everyone in Ulster feels that civil war is about to break out. They think the raids and kidnaps have been- or- —v gar used to bring it about.. ( “There is an ugly temper, not only in Counties Tyrone and Fermanagh, but in Belfast where the feeling is so strong that there is bound to be an explosion if those kidnapped are not released immediately. The outrage has made impossible any early effort in the direction of negotiating a settlement between the north and south. During the week-end (says the cor- • • respondent) Sinn Feiiiers captured two London journalists in County Monag- > hail. A representative of the “Daily Express” handed in a message at Clones on Saturday, describing the shooting affray. Ho immediately thereafter was arrested and was courtmartailled on a charge of fomenting disaffection in the Irish Free State. He w&e sentenced to death, A District Inspector of the Irish Constabulary, however, heard of the trial, and interfered on the journalist's behalf who was thereupon deported. Th e other journalist'* 1 was arrested and was accused of acting as a spy for the Northern Ulster Parliament. Sinn Feiners told him he would be shot at dawn: Fortunately, Mr O’Duffy, the Republican Chief of Staff, intervened and ordered that he .be given a- safe conduct to Belfast. In reference to the demand of Sou- - thorn Ireland for the release of the team tof footballers who have been imprisoned in Ulster, the “Daily Telegraph” stated the ten men came over the border and were armed with bombs or other weapons and were accordingly taken into custody.

DEBATE IN COMMONS. LONDON, February 14. Captain Craig (Ulster Unionist) in the House of Commons, gave notice of an amendment for the second reading of the Irish Free State Bill, to the effect “that the House declines to proceed with this measure until it is given the assurance that the provision there- 4 in for setting up the Ulster Boundary Com mission be eliminated, or that any decision shall only take effect that it has received the Northern Parliament’s approval.” S,ir James Craig (Ulster Premier) on IMondajy jnjighjt made the statement that in response to strong representations for further troops, the military garrison for Northern Ireland is to beraised to fourteen battalions.