THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1922, Page 3

THE IRISH PROBLEM.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE .ASSOCIATION

IRISH COALITION. LONDON, May 21. The Speaker announced in the Dail Enreaim that Mr Michael Collins, and Mr de Valera have agreed to form a coalition. In the Dail Eireaim, Mr Cathal Brugha opposed Mr Griffiths motion ■£- r garding an early poll. He first spoke in 'lrish. Then, addressing his opponents, he said: “1 "ill now speak,n the language of your master. II tiii election is persisted in, Ireland will be divided into two British Dominions.” He added : “I dare say we must again fight the English before we get wli.t we want.” Mr O’Callaghan, Lord Mayor of Dublin, pointed out there was but a small difference between the two parties. Tne Peace Committee had a discussion following this. It was made upon the suggestion that Mr de Valera and Mr Collins should lay their points of agreement before the Dail Eireann, which'then adjourned till to-morrow. TVhen the Dail Eireann reassembled, before the adjournment, the Speaker announced Mr do Valera and Mr Collins had reached an agreement on the following terms:

TERMS OF THE COALITION. First: That a National Coalition Panel, representing both pnrties in the Dail Eireann and the Sinn Fein organisations be sent forward, on the grounds that the,national position requires the entrustment of the Government of the country into the joint hands of those who have been the strength of the national situation during flic last few years, this being without prejudice t . their respective positions. Second: That the Panel he sent forward as fi'om the Sinn Fein organisation, the number from each party being according to the present strength in the Dail Eireann. Third: That candidates be nominated by the existing party executives. Fourth : That every and any interests are free to contest the elections! with the National Sinn Fein Panel. Fifth : That the constituencies where no cohtcst takes place, shall continue with their present representation. Sixth : That after the election, tbe executive consist of the President-elect as formerly, a Minister of Defence, and nine other Ministers, five bsing from the majority and four from the minority party, each party to choose its own nominees, and the Irish President allocating the portfolios. Seventh: That in the event of the Coalition finding a dissolution necessary. a genera! election shall he held Hs early as possible on the adult suffrage, The above agreement was greeted with applause. Mr Griffiths proposed thrtf Ihe -elections be held ih June, subject to the aboVe agreement, Mr de Valera seconded the motion It was carried unanimously. The Dail then adjourned till May 1. IRISH FLECTIONS. LONDON, May 20.

At a meeting of the Dail, Griffiths moved that the polling clay for the elections should lie June 1(5. He said that people bail been muzzled long enough. Ho concluded “Those who attempted, by force of arms, to prevent the Irish people from exercising their right to vote, would be met oil that issue.''

BELFAST POGROMS CONTINUE LONDON. May 19.

When premises were owned for business armed gangs entered Belfast warehouses, and held up tbe staffs. Petrol was sprinkled throughout tbe buildings and then ignited. Detective 11 islop, while following four men who raided a shop in Belfast, was shot dead after effecting the first arrest. A corn mill and a public house were burned down, and t.u> houses partially destroyed in a fire at South Durrow. All tbe victims were CnHiol-cs. These outrages are believed to be reprisals for recent murders of constabulary. Tbe situation in Belfast is very grave. Tbe people are in a state of apprehension. Police and military are patrolling'the streets in s'rung force. There were eight further incendiary fires during Friday night. Armed gangs, apparently seeking Protestant Workers in Co-operative works in Belfast, shot four men, two fatally. It is believed to be a reprisal for yesterday’s shootings. Nim* moii in the afternoon entered Garrett and Little’s eo-operage works, and found five coopers working and demanded the religion of each at the revolver point. They shot four Protestants, mimed Murphy, Maxwell, Patterson, ami Boyd, but left a filth, who was a Catholic, alone.

LONDON, Mav 20. Maxwell, one of the men wounded in the eo-operage raid, succumbed. John Connolly was shot (lead in a timber yard in Cork Street in liellast. Sinn’Feiners, operating on an extensive scale in County Antrim, destroyed a railway at Duiiley, cut some telegraph wires, seized or blew up tin* police barracks at Glenarm, Martinstown, Carnlough, C'uslieiidall, Ruthkenny; raided several post offices; blocked roads with boulders. Some of tbe men burned down Lord O’Neill’s seat at Shanecastle, situated on tbe shores of Lough Neagh. Neighbours rescued Lori O’Neill’s wife Both are elderly. Tbe attackers arrived from Tyrone in boats, held up the inmates, sprinkled petrol through the building, and it soon was a blazing furiiac-e.- No fire brigade was available for miles. Little was saved. Similar raids were made in County Down and several railway stations were attacked. Sinn Feiners burned Galgorm Castle, Ballymena, and razed Baroness de Ross’s residence, Old Court Castle, at Downpatrick, destroyed [ml ice barracks at Castle AY el lan. R" : Three attackers have been killed and seven wounded.

FURTH KII PARTICULARS

MANY OUTRAGES. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) I,ONOON, May 21. Trisli outrages raided ivere tilt? result of simultaneous Republican risings ill Down and Antrim, which arc now completely isolated. Telegraphs wre cut, bridges destroyed, railways torn up, ! stations, post' offices, and police bar- ! racks-attacked. The outrages occurred | in Roman Catholic and mixed centres. | ] ovalist centres were not all cted. The destruction of Shanes Castle was carried out at two o’clock in the morning, when l.ord and l ady O’Neill were in bed The former «'«’d 82. is the father of the Speaker ol Ulster Parliament. He had to be car Vied out on a stretcher. Fie wept as he saw his beautiful castle containing many historic pictures and treasures, blazing. Dutipg the fighting in Antrim, a ape- ( ,da] ronstnb)e npmed McNeill was kill-

ed The police defended the barracks heroically. Raiders broke through a wall at Mnrtiiistovvn and threw bombs, but were, eventually beaten off.

Cushendall police defended the barracks for four hours against, 150 rebels, who bail possession of the village. The ,esidents were panic etricken. Rebels burned a branch hank and tarried off the post office instruments. The residence of Ronald McNeill.

member of the House of Commons, at (jixhendeii, was burned and many valuables destroyed. A Military officer motoring with his wife to J?:illykinilor. ran into an unihush. His wife was killed and the officer was picked up later unconscious. Ulster Cabinet officially announces that the necessary steps to cope with the situation have been decided upon, after consultation with the military and ; police authorities. BELFAST CASUALTY LIST. (Received this day at 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, May 21. Ten are dead and ten seriously wound ed as the, result of shooting at Belfast on Saturday night. Firing was renewed on Sunday, when three more were killed and fourteen sent to the hospital suffering from gunshot wounds. I Ail armed gang shot a widow named I Shields and her married daughter, when they entered their house and j were not able to find Shield’s son.

FI’RTHF.R DETAILS OF OUTRAGES. (Received this day at 10.15 a.m.) LONDON. May 20. Details of the incendiarism in Ireland show O’Neill’s castle was attacked in military style, a large force crossing Lough Neagh in the small hours, surrounded the castle, surprising the watchman. They then forced the petrol store. The land steward and carpenter rushed out, but were promptly captured. The latter was shot ill the leg. They and other servants were confined in the kitchen. The pantry boy was forced, at the revolver point, to carry petrol with which the attackers saturated the woodwork. Before setting lire to the house they placed O’Neil! on a stretcher and ordered the servants to carry him to the land agent’s house. Lady O’Neill, a pathetic weeping figure, followed afoot. The raiders retired, when the Castle was well ablaze. The burning of the old Court Castle filled with priceless heirlooms was similarly carried out. Lady Deros was suddenly awakened and watched the conflagration from the lawn in her night clothes. Another fine residence, Craigbally House, near Ballymena, was burned in tlie same manner. Ft was the seat ol Hon AY. R. Young, brother of General Young. Sergeant at Arms in Northern Parliament. In this case the iiueiiiliarists took the precaution to entirely isolate the place, cutting the wires ami destroying the telegraph office. There was fierce fighting ill the villa."of Cushendnle where the summer resilience of Ronald McNeill, a Commoner, was burned. A hirn*' band oj armed men took (aissession el the villagi «i midnight and fought the police folium's. The police building was badly damaged. Police ruslicd and surrounded Drunmasole bouse, the residence of Turnleys which was also burned. Wlieii the police mustered _ait<the retreat they found one eoiislahe killed and four wounded. Exactly hall the garrison. . Sso far as is known, four raiders were killed, seven wounded and ten captured.

MORE KILLINGS. (Received this day at 10.15 a.m.) LONDON. May 20. During a street tight between gunmen and Crown forces, a woman aged •20 and a child aged tlir.e. were shot dead and two others mortally wounded.