ENGLAND’S ANXIETY.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 June 1922, Page 5

ENGLAND’S ANXIETY.

MENACE OF SINN FEIN, FIRES IN COUNTIES, MUCH DAMAGE DONE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received June 27, 9.40 p.m. London, June 26. The police have made vigorous preparations to counter a possible campaign of Sinn Fein terrorism in Britain. The Scotland Yard flying squadron was actively searching for arms to-day. They found an incendiary bomb in a house at Fulham, and arrested a man. Strange outbreaks of incendiarism have occurred in Surrey and Essex, resembling the incendiary outrages in Surrey last year, which were traced to Sinn Fein. There were fires every night last week, beginning at Romford, where haystacks and a shed were burned. Over £2OOO worth of damage was done last night alone. The police are mostly armed now, and are patrolling the district with motor-cars and bicycles. Speaking in the House of Commons. Mr. E. Shortt (Home Secretary) defended the Secret Service, which, he declared, was more efficient than a year ago. The Secret Service advised that robberies of arms and incendiarism might be effected, but it was hoped that the capture of the gang which had been caught would end this. The Government had been advised that there would be no organised murders in Britain. He warmly repudiated a charge that he ignored information that Sir Henry Wilson was endangered. The Home Office received no such information. Mr. Shortt stated that the raids which followed the assassination showed there was nothing revealing the existence of an organised plot to use firearms or bombs against any particular persons.