IRISH CRISIS

Taranaki Daily News, 15 February 1922, Page 5

IRISH CRISIS

THE POSITION GRAVE. AIORE TROOPS FOR ULSTER. ASSISTANCE PROMISED. OUTRAGES CONTINUE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received Feb. 14, 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 14. The Irish situation is grave. The Ulster garrisons are being increased to fourteen battalions, and the departure of British troops from the south has been suspended. In the House of Commons Mr. Winston Churchill said that while the Government had informed Sir James Craig that the troops in Ulster would be reinforced to any extent necessary to preserve law and order they had appealed to Sir James Craig to take effective steps to prevent reprisals »r irregular action on his side of the frontier. The disturbances at Belfast were continued throughout the forenoon. Two men named Leary and Gregg were shot dead, and several others wounded. An extensive sawmill at Ballina was maliciously destroyed by fire. Loval, commandant of the Irish Republican Army, has proclaimed martial law in the Crossmolina area. The military garrison of West Cork has received orders cancelling their departure, which was arranged for to-day. The stores and equipment were retransferred to the barracks. The evacuation of troops from Dublin has •iso been suspended. EDGE OF VOLCANO. CIVIL WAR EXPECTED. ORDERS TO THE TROOPS. ARREST OF JOURNALISTS. Received Feb. 14, 7.25 pan. • London, Feb. 14. The situation throughout Ireland, not only in Ulster, is of the gravest. The Daily Telegraph’s Belfast correspondent says: "We are sitting on the edge of a volcano, and the sooner the Government and 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, and they think the raids and kidnaps have been organised to bring it about. There is an ugly temper, not only in 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 outrages have made impossible any early effort in the direction of negotiating a settlement between the North and the South.” During the week-end Sinn Feiners captured two London journalists in Monaghan. A representative of the Daily Express handed in a message at Clones on Saturday describing the shootings, and immediately thereafter he was arrested, court-martialled and charged with fomenting disaffection in the Free State and sentenced to death. The district inspector of the Irish Constabulary, however, heard of the trial, and interceded on the journalist's behalf, and he was thereupon deported. The other journalist who was arrested was accused of acting as a spy for the Northern Parliament. Sinn Feiners told him he would be shot at dawn, but fortunately O’Duffy, Republican Chief of Staff, intervened and ordered that he be given safe conduct to Belfast. In reference to the demand for the release of the footballers, the Daily Telegraph states that ten men came over the border armed with bombs and other weapons and were accordingly taken, into custody. Sir James Craig to-night made a statement that in response to strong representations for further troops the garrison of Northern Ireland would be raised to fourteen battalions. A Dublin message states that the situation is so serious that the departure of British troops from Dublin, Cork and other southern districts has been suspended.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CONTROLLING SITUATION. THE GOVERNMENT’S POWER. MORE SHOOTING IN BELFAST. Received Feb. 14, 7.25 pan. London, Feb. 14. In the House of Commons Captain C. C. Craig (Unionist member for South Antrim) gave notice of the following amendment Jo the second reading of the Irish Free State Bill: "That the House declines to proceed with the measure until it is given an assurance that the provision for setting up a boundary commission will be eliminated, or that any decision shall only take effect after it has received the Northern Parliament’s approval.” It is stated that the report of the suspension of the British evacuation is without foundation, but this lacks confirmation. Mr. M. Collins (head of the Irish Free State) and the Dublin military authorities state that they do not know of any reason for the suspension. Mr. Collins declares that the provisional Government is capable of dealing with the whole situation within the Free State. Sniping continued in Belfast on Monday night. A bomb was thrown near the York Road police barracks. It killed two children and wounded fourteen others, thr?e of whom are not expected to live. Mr. Arthur Griffith (leader of the Da:l Fareann) to-night issued an official reply to Mr. De Valera, pointing out that the treaty only gave the same recognition to the British Crown as Mr. De Valera himgelf proposed.—AUB.-N.Z. Cable Assn. BRITISH TROOPS IN ULSTER. London, Feb. 13. A large number of those kidnapped have been transferred from Ballylay to County Cavan. It is semiofficially stated in Belfast that British troops will not be sent into the Free State, but will be placed on the northern ad* & fcoalir,, - >