TROOPS GATHER.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 June 1922, Page 5

TROOPS GATHER.

ACTIVITY IN BELFAST. SIGNIFICANT MOVES. THE CITY QUIETER. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received June 4, 5.5 pm. London, June 2. Significant British military preparations are proceeding in Belfast, which now has the biggest garrison in its history. Infantry are arriving daily; also field artillery, siege guns, and airmen. Troops have replaced specials on the Fermanagh border, where two huge armies are face to face. The police found an arsenal concealed in a sniper’s attic in Belfast, containing rifles, revolvers, grenades, and thousands cf rounds of ammunition. The Commandant of Londonderry has prohibited the export of motor spirit and oil into Donegal by road, rail or sea. This is expected to paralyse the Republicans huge fleet of commandered motor-cars. Belfast had a quiet day to-day. There were only two attempts at murder and one death. Magistrates sentenced a number of men found with revolvers to 18 months hard labor. Several men called at the house of a Belfast doctor and asked if he was in. A servant named Susan McCormack replied “No,” whereupon the men poured petrol over the girl and set fire to her. She was sent to hospital in a most serious condition. A crowd attempted to rescue seven men arrested in Belfast for looting, and opened fire on the police, who replied, killing one man. Mr. Griffiths went to Dublin after submitting to Cabinet the answer to six questions. He returns next week to resume negotiations. THE ELECTIONS. THE COALITION FORCES. Received June 4, 5.5 p.m. London, June 2. A list of Coalition candidates resulting from the Collins-de Valera agreement is published. It includes only four non-mem-bers of the present Dail Eireann. There are 124 candidates for 128 seats, the four Dublin University seats being uncontested by the Coalition. The famous commandant Breen was nominated by both sides, making a nominal total of 125, of whom 65 are pro-Treaty and 50 anti-Treaty. Independent candidates are likely to produce contests in a score of constituencies, the Farmers’ Union and Labor each having about 20 candidates ready. MOTOR BOAT NAVY. A LADY COMMANDER. SIEGE OF LONDONDERRY IMMINENT. Received June 3, 7.5 p.m. London, June 1. The Evening News states that Ulster has raised a picturesque little motor l>oat navy, commanded by a woman. Her flagship is the yacht Pandora, which she owns. The fleet is in Lougherne, patrolling the shores and preventing supplies reaching the Sinn Feiners encamped at Pettigo. Meanwhile, a determined siege of Londonderry seems imminent, two camps, containing several hundred Republicans, splendidly equipped, have been established in the north and south of the city. The position is most critical.United Service. MORE ABOUT THAT YACHT. A REMARKABLE STORY. Received June 3, 7.40 p.m. London, June 1. A remarkable story is told of saving the police garrison at Ballymena Castle by the help of the lady owner of the pacht Pandora, Mrs. Laverton, who is well acquainted with Lougherne. She insisted on accompanying the relief expedition aboard the vessel, and, at a critical moment, herself weighed the anchor under fire. The garrison finally evacuated. —Reuter Service. NEGOTIATIONS TO CONTINUE. Received June 3, 5.5 p.m. London, June 2. The Cabinet has received the Provisional Government’s reply to six definite qestions, and regards the answers as sufficiently satisfactory to allow the negotiations to continue.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.