IRELAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 April 1922, Page 5

IRELAND.

OFFICER KIDNAPPED. PATROL AMBUSHED. ANOTHER BOMB OUTRAGE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright. Received April 2, 5.5 p.m. London, April 1. Four armed men captured Captain Findlay, a liaison officer, in County Roscommon, from an hotel. They motored him to an unknown destination. The Irish Republican Army rebels are intimating that they will not allow any courts to function except Republican tribunals. They suppressed the Ballinrobe quarter sessions. A police patrol was ambushed at Newry, one being killed and one wounded. A bomb that, was thrown into a house in Belfast killed a child three years of age and wounded two other children. ROYAL ASSENT TO BILL. REBELS STILL ACTIVE. Received April 1, 5.5 p.m. London, March 31. The House of Lords decided not to insist on its amendments to the Irish Free State Bill, which immediately received Royal assent. Irish recalcitrants held up a Londonderry train at Newtown. At Cunningham they burned newspapers, and also ejected Free Staters from the Cardonagh and Morville barracks, and commandeered an hotel at Buncrana, the largest in Donegal. FULL POWERS. ASSUMED BY FREE STATE. REBELS REPORTED MOBILISING. Received April 2, 5.5 p.m. London, March 31. The Irish Free State assumed full powers to-day, but the, Provisional Government confronts an immediate crisis. It is reported that the Republicans contemplate secretly mobilising for a coup to-morrow. Consequently, troops loyal to the Free State have assembled at their respective headquarters to-night. Ulster is still without peace. Large Irish Republican forces, at midnight on Friday, attacked a psrty of Ulster police in a mountainous aistrict near Cooktown, East Tyrone. A running fight ensued, the rebels being driven off after losing one killed and several wounded. Commander Ackland, of the Royal Irish Constabulary, was wounded.

Armed men raided th® Claremorris Post Office and stole £lOOO at the revolver’s point.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. VALUE OF THE AGREEMENT. PROSPECTS OF PEACEFUL PROGRESS. HOPE OF UNIFIED COUNTRY. London, March 31. During the consideration of the Lords’ amendment to the Irish Free State Bill Mr. Churchill, referring to the Irish Conference, paid a tribute to the statesmanlike courage and earnest goodwill displayed at the most critical juncture in Ireland’s fortunes by Sir Jarnos Craig and his colleagues. The value of the agreement*could not be over-estimated. By taking all measures humanely possible to bring about the cessation of religious and partisan warfare, Ulster gave the treaty and the Provisional Government a far greater chance of success than would ever otherwise be possible. This hope of unity and co-operation undoubtedly opened out to the Irish in all parts of Ireland prospects of peaceful progress in future for their country.

The two Governments in Ireland, by arriving at an agreement, had rendered supreme service, not only to Ireland, but to the whole British Empire. In consequence of this action our pledges and obligations to secure Ulster’s rights under the treaty were redoubled. Ulster’s position would be strengthened before the world by her earnest desire to create peace and goodwill. j The Government could not consent to any alteration of the treaty, however small. Even if it felt the treaty was in some respects defective, those defects were not comparable in importance with the danger that was beginning to mar the symmetry of the position. Those who were fighting for the treaty were loath to encourage optimism. A long weary period of anxiety and uncertainty was before the country. He had complete confidence in the faith and goodwill of the Irish signatories, but less confidence in their power to discharge fully what they undoubtedly desired. Mr. Churchill said that, speaking absolutely frankly, he felt it better to face the facts quite brutally and not nourish illusions. The Irish Free State, while still in the cradle, was exposed to deadly foes who would not hesitate to use any meant), however cruel, treacherous and mad, to destroy it. He might have cause in the next few weeks to use graver words about some aspects of the occurrences in several parts of Ireland. Captain Craig assured the House that Ulster would do all possible to carry out the agreement. Mr. Devlin (Nationalist) said he believed the new policy in Ireland would succeed.

Lord Hugh Cecil was pessimistic. As the agreement had no driving force behind it, it was unlikely to settle the Irish question. Mr. Wedgwood voiced the Labor Party’s approval of the agreement. Mr. John Ward said the Government should make it clear that it was not responsible for carrying out the treaty. Delay had given De Valera a chance of influencing opinion against the document.

Mr. Churchill replied that the Provisional Government was responsible for the delay. They know their own business best, and it remained to be seen whether the course was not a right one. The House then considered the Lords’ amendments to the Free State Bill seriatim. The Government amendment relating to Ulster being allowed a month for contracting out was accepted, but the House disagreed with all the other amendments.

Sir Hamar Greenwood announced that the, disbandment of the Royal Irish Constabulary in -Southern Ireland would commence to-day and that the Northern Ireland force would be disbanded as soon as possible. The Northern Whig says: “The pathetic minority arc now enabled to show once for all that Catholicism and Sinn Feinism are not synonymous. It is o'b.Vjiova Meftsra. epad Golljns BjjHXfed

the agreement in order to be in a better position to concentrate aganst De Valera. What is doubtful is not their good faith, but their powers to control the I.R.A. mutineers.” The Trish Free State Bill has received the Royal assent. ■Mr. Griffith, interviewed, said: “If the document, signed last night as the outcome of the London Conference is carried out in the spirit of the signatories,' it will give us later a unified Ireland, which every honest, sensible Irishman, whatever his cred, desires.” Dublin and Belfast newspapers joyfully hail the agreement. The Irish Times Rays the represent a large-minded and courageous effort to remove the cause of strife between North and South and to ray the foundation for a national settlement. Good Irishmen will tha-nk God fo£ this agreement, ----