REBELS ACTIVE.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 February 1922, Page 5

REBELS ACTIVE.

TENSION IN BELFAST. WARFARE IN THE CITY. TROOPS CALLED OUT. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received Feb. 15, 8.15 p.m. London, Feb. 15. A Belfast message reports that there is extreme tension in the city, and shooting is almost continuous in some areas. The admission of Mr. Michael Collins that a coup d’etat is possible caused no surprise in Ulster, where it is known that a coup d’etat would be followed by a strong attack against the frontier. Accordingly recruits for the special constabulary are pouring in. Disorders were so serious on Tuesday night that the military were called out to assist in restoring order. A soldier was wounded. Bishop Macrory has telegraphed to Mr. Lloyd George asking for the protection of Belfast Catholics, allegmg they were being murdered. Inquiries showed that the majority of Monday’s victims were Catholics, and almost all Tuesday’s victims were Protestants. POLITICAL PRISONERS RELEASED. A BOMB IN BELFAST. CHILDREN KILLED. London, Feb. 14. Some sixty Sinn Fein political prisoners w< •«? released from English and Scottish prisons to-day. The bomb hurled among the Belfast children was a missile of a powerful type. A group of light-hearted girls and boys were playing with a skipping rope. The children were mutilated by flying shrapnel. Four were killed and fourteen wounded. All were Roman Catholics. The total casualties since Sunday are 13 killed and 49 wounded. Mr. Churchill announced that the Government had thought it necessary to suspend the evacuation of troops from Southern Ireland. Mr. Collins was coming to London to-night to confer with the Government. Received Feb. 15, 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 14. Mr. Michael Collins has telegraphed Mr. Winston Churchill: “I am happy to inform you I am in a position to secure the release of a number of prisoners. I am not certain about the number but will know later 1 in the day.” This afternoon snipers shot repeatedly into Royal Avenue, the principal thoroughfare of Belfast. Plateglass windows were shattered and vehicular traffic was suspended. A man Wallace was killed and another was shot in the neck. In the House of Commons Mr. Winston Churchill, replying to a question, said that apart from serious political reasons the Government had received unanimous advice from its military advisers against having troops on the south side of the Irish border. A BARRIER TO RAIDS. Received Feb. 15, 9 p.m. London, Feb. 15. In order to make raids difficult the mountain roads in Fermanagh and Ty■rone are being rendered impassaole by volunteer labor.