THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1922, Page 3

THE IRISH PROBLEM.

! U7BTRAMAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. | SINN FEIN PRISONERS. LONDON, April 6. ' The last butch of Sinn Femers kept ' prisoners in England have now bee." liberated. The batch included Roche whose arrest was cabled on Jamil r 18th.

OUTBACKS CONTINUE,

SERIES OF HAPPENINGS

UNITED SERVICE TELECRAMS. '.Received Tim Day at 11.30 a.in.) LONDON. April 6. The “Daily Mail’s” Dublin correspondent states though" the combined efforts of Ulster and Fre State Provisional Governments are a hopeful sign, the position in Ireland is critical, owing to the actions of the hostile minority of disappointed extremists, and De Valera’s open threat to prevent free, indeocudent voting by the bullet and bayonet. There is dear evidence that the country desires the Free State. It is understood the Provisional Government intends to take early steps to prevent intimidation, which would plunge the country into further chaos. The “Daily Mail” in a leader headed “Kerensky in Irish,” warns Mr Collins that the next few days may decide whether his fate will be Kerensky’s, at Lenin’s hands. Britain has placed the South in his keeping, relying on * his good faith and strength of character, end appeals to him to prove lie deserves j the great trust, and will not allow him- 1 self to be openly challenged or defied. I De Valeraites, with increasing held ness, attempted two daylight attacks on Free State soldiers in Dublin, with - out success. A party in Galway held up Captain Hurley, commander of the loyalists in Limerick and demanded the keys of the stores of the cdmmaiuleered barracks. He refused and was. shot in the thigh. He attempted to draw a revolver and a rebel placed a revolver 6n his wrist and filled, the wrist being shattered. The hitherto peaceful county of Mavo witnessed an attack'on two demobilise ! members of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Two motor car loads of armed men stormed a house at Ballyeliaunis and shot the ex-constables as they lay abed. One is dead and the other seriously wounded.

The widening of the breach between Free Staters and revellers was exemplified by an affair at Bray, when a hidden gang ambushed a motor conveying Free State officers, who escaped seamless. Bishop Loughren in an address in the Cathedral, condemned th° so-raHnd D? Valerites executive outright. He said, “They may call themselves what they please, they are not the national annv. they iire a military junta. Its oat.li is not a binding obligation.” Meanwhile, the task ol estahlisning a joint committee of Protestants, and Catholics in Ulster under the Treaty is practically complete. r lhe Ulster Go\-| eminent awaits the names of the Catholics.

AN AMBUSH i Deceived Tins l)av at 9.40 n.nO LONDON, April (5. Irish Free Staters ambushed a police patrol at Belcoo near Fermanagh frontier. Three constables were wounded and sent to hospital and one is missing, his fate being unknown. Reinforcements were despatched to the scene.

OUTRAGE AT SWINE FOR I). UNITED SERVICE TELEGRAMS. Received This Dav at 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, April 6. There were terrifying scenes at Swineford, following a refusal of farmers and traders to suspend business. Armed men entered the market and made a house to hors? vis.t, and at the point of the revolver ordered business to cease. Tho streets were eh pled in ten minutes. This marks an extension of the trouble to A\ ost Ireland. which for severe I years has enjoyed comparative pea elulncss. iho usual gang of armed youths arrived when farmers and traders refused to suspend tlu* mn"ket r.nd find revolvers into the air. with a view to terrorising the crowd. I hoy returned Later, strongly reinforced by hundreds of others and ordered the shops to le closed, and wrecked those that ref used. They’ gave orders to the District Judge and maltreated him when he refused to obey. The ostensible pretext for the ruffianism wa« the fact tlrfc Republican revolters bad arranged to re-inter the body of a man killed wbiilei ambushing British forces and decreed a. cessation of all business as a sign of mourning.