RAIDS ON ULSTER.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 February 1922, Page 5

RAIDS ON ULSTER.

BEBELS CROSS FRONTIER. ATTACKS ON CITIZENS. CLASHES with police, TREATY IMPERILLED. Telegraph.—Press Assn.—-Copyright. Received Feb. 9, 9.20 p.m. London, Feb. S. Air. Austen Chamberlain, in the-Hotrte of Commons, read the following message from the Ulster Government:— “Large bands crossed the frontier of Derry, Tyrone and Fermanagh and occupied the houses of leading citizens on the Ulster side of the bduudr ary. Numerous leading citizens, including the high sheriff, have been wounded or kidnapped and taken across the border to the South, the captures including twenty Ulster special constables. The raiders blew up bridges in Ulster. The police captured eleven raiders armed with bombs and revolvers, who were identified as

members of the Republican army.” Mr. Chamberlain said directly he received the message Cabinet met and decided to telegraph to Mr. M. Collins (Leader of the Provisional Government) and the general commanding the troops in Ireland. The telegram to Mr. Collins read: “Herewith is a telegram received from the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. If anything approximating this has happened His Majesty’s Government will take the gravest view of the situation. Such arts are a breach of the truce, and will gravely imperil the treaty. I will be glad to hear immediately you are taking steps to ensure the release of prisoners and to provide against a recurrence of these grave out-

rages.*’ The telegram to the Cbmmander-in-Chief was as follows: “You will ot course give the Northern Government all the necessary aid in the defence of the northern boundary, and won't hesitate to ask for reinforcements if necessary. We have called on the Provisional Government to release prisoners. The troops in Northern Ireland will act in support of the civil authorities in defence of the existing frontier until a new one is established whenever the Government of Northern Ireland requests assistance.*’ Mr. Chamberlain added that he could not usefully add to the statement until the Government’s information was more complete: ‘One reason,” he said, “that we want the'Bill giving legal authority to the Provisional Government is that the Government may control disorderly elements, economical or political, within their own boundaries.*’

As a matter of urgency the Bill was passed in order that the Government would have authority to punish cases where the law was broken.

Reports reaching London state that organised attacks on leading unionists in Tyrone and Fermanagh were carried out over a wide area this morning. Mr. Montray, grand master of Tyrone and an Orangeman, was kidnapped while in his house. Mr. Carson, ex-sheriff ot Fermanagh, was attacked. A gallant defence was put up, but eventually Mr. Carson was wounded and carried off. Armed bands attacked the residence of Mr. Cooper (an Ulster Commoner), and prominent residents of Enniskillen. The residents returned the fire. The police arrived and captured eleven raiders and three motor cars raden with rifles, revolvers and bombs. Another motor car was held up near Enniskillen and an occupant was found wounded. Most of the captured men came from Longford. One was wearing a Republican army union. Mobile platoons are scouring the country hunting for the raiders.

Sir Jalnes Craig (Premier of Ulster) has sent a message to Ulster and arranged an immediate distribution of arms to protect the border. Outrages have strengthened the detenhinatioh of Ulster to hold what it has.

RAIDS ALARM ULSTER. TELEGRAPH WIRES CUT. HAIDERS AND POLICE CLASH. Received Feb. 9, 9.20 p.m. London, Feb. 8 Ulsfer is in a state of excitement over the raids, which extended for forty miles. As all the telegraph wires had been previously cut the raiders were able to carry out operations without interference for a long time. There are the gravest fears in Ulster of reprisals on a wholesale scale.

The affrays commenced by a large party of well-armed Republicans crossing from Monaghan with the purpose of seizing Ulster specials as a reprisal for the arrest at Dromore several weeks ago of eleven members of the Monaghan Gaelic football team going to Derry to play a match. Fighting commenced when a band of

Republicans met a tender containing Ulster specials, who were ’called upon to halt. They did so, but opened fire, which was returned, a special being wounded. Mr. Cooper and a friend named Elliott put up a most vigorous fight and put the raiders to flight. Their pluck was the chief cause of the police capturing eleven raiders. Sir Josslyn Booth, who was captured, is the father of Madame Markievez, the Sinn Feiner, though himself a unionist. There were similar raids in Donegal, where Sinn Ferners kidnapped Major Miles, holder of the Military Cross. "When the Ulster specials heard of the outrages they sent motor ears and ?orries in all directions to cut off the raidsrs as they returned across the frontier. A party of six men at Belcoe, Fermanagh, pluckily stopped four motor cars filled with armed men, who fired. The police later returned the fire, badly wounding a raider. Fanners in the Clogher Valley are arming and mobilising to protect their lives and property. A telegram states < large number of farmers and their Son* in Clogher have already been car-

A HUNDRED KIDNAPPED. z

DETERMINED OUTRAGES. DIFFICULTIES OF POLICE. Received Feb. 9, 10 p.m. London, Feb. 9. The kidnapped loyalists total nearly a hundred. The Tyrone outrages were of a particularly determined character. Strong bodies operated over widely separ a ted areas.

One was directed against Mr. Montray» grand master of Tyrone and an Orangeman, who is eighty years of asp*. He put ap a stout resistance, though practically unaided, and he was despfrately wounded before he was captured. At least fourteen prominent Ulstermen were kidnapped. The police are scouring the district, but their hands are tied, as they are not allowed to cross the border into Monaghan.

During the night bands of young men in motor cars kidnapped a number of Sligo Ulstermen, including Booth. It is reported those captured in Sligo have since been released.

Raiders shot and wounded Doonan, a Unionist registration agent, at Enniskillen. Eight special constables Were kidnapped at Lisnaker. Three police at Rosier and a number of civilians Were more or less seriously wounded. The Daily Chronicle urges that it cannot be supposed that Mr. Griffith and Mr. Collins approve of the raid. It is evident local units got beyond control, and they committed a crime against united Ireland. The 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 reappear.

REPLY FROM MR. COLLINS. OUTRAGES NOT POLITICAL. EFFORTS TO STOP SUCH ACTS. Received Feb. 9, 10.30 p.m. London, Feb. 9. Th the House of Commons, Mr. Winston Churchill said the Government had received a telegram from Mr. Collins in reply to the Government’s message. Mr. Collins replied that the outbreak was not due to the question of the boundary dispute, but to anxfety and apprehension regarding the fate of the tterry prisoners under sentence of death. Mr. Collins said he had made special efforts to prevent these acts of violence, although he was not aware of any act of clemency regarding the prisoners.

Mr. Churchill added that the Provisional Government assured them it was doing everything it possibly could to insure the safety of those captured and their early release. Mr. Churchill did not pretend this was a satisfactory incident. Th? House would mike a gtoat, mistake if it supposed that within the next few months they would hive nothing hut satisfactory- incidents to dis-cuss.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. TREATY GRAVELY IMPERILLED. USE OF TROOPS ORDERED. London. Feb. 8. In the House of Commons Mr. Chamberlain stated that he had telegraphed to the commaiider of the troops in Ireland that extensive raids in Ulster had been reported, and that he was to give the Ulster GoverrMent all assistance in defending the boundary. Mr. Chamberlain said the Government had also telegraphed to Mr. Collins askirtg him to take immediate steps to release persona captured in the raids over the Ulster boundary, which gravely imperilled the treaty. ' Mr. Collins, interviewecr, attributes the raids to the fact that the raiders did not know the Derry death sentences had been commuted.

Sir James Craig, in a message to the people of Ulster, said the responsibility for kidnappings belonged to the British Government for demobilising the special constabulary.