NOT OVER-SANGUINE.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 280, 24 November 1921, Page 5

NOT OVER-SANGUINE.

IRISH NEGOTIATIONS.

DOOR NOT YET CLOSED. TOO MUCH ADVICE. (By Cable.—Press Association.— Copyright.) (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, November 2a. The Irish Conference Committee, consisting of Mr. Lloyd George, Lord Birkenhead, Mr. Austen Chamberlain, Mr. Arthur Griffiths, and Mr. M. Collins, conferred for two hours to-day. Lord Birkcnhead, speaking at the Aldwych 'Club luncheon, said he could not invite them to take an over-sanguine view of the critical Irish negotiations, hut could at least point out that the door excluding hope had not yet been definitely closed. The negotiators' task was very difficult, and would become impossible if all the world were to bawl advice, menace, and abuse outside the conference room. It was also unhelpful to demand publication of documents which were obviously confidential. Premature publication would bp injurious and might wreck the whole prospect of the negotiations.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)

ON A THREAD.

ELECTION SUGGESTIONS. (Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, November 23. Sir Kingslcy Wood (Coalition Unionist member for West Woolwich), epeakingat Woolwich, said that the Irish negotiations rested on a. thread, and the country might at an early date have to pass judgment on the present proposals. It might well be that such proposals would be presented by a new Administration.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)

KILKENNY GAOLBREAKERS.

TUNNEL UNDER THE WALL. EXIT IN MIDDLE OF STREET. (Received 11.80 a.m.l LONDON, November 23. Forty-four political prisoners in Kilkenny escaped through a tunnel with its i exit in a public thoroughfare. The ! escapees bored a tunnel under the gaol wall into the centre of Gaol Street, where pedestrians were amazed to see the crust of the earth breaking and two prisoners emerging from the hole. The prisoners ordered the dumbfounded witnesses back, commandeered a nearby Cottage and imprisoned the onlookers. Then the remainder of the prisoners emerged from the tunnel. When the last man was out the alarm was raised, and military lorries quickly appeared. The whole countryside was in a ferment, but darkness aided the escapees, who took to the fields where the lorries could not follow them.— (A. and N.Z.)

GRAVE RIOTS IN BELFAST.

70 CASUALTIES ON TUESDAY. TEN MEN KILLED. LONDON, November 23. The situation in Belfast has become graver. Fighting has spread to districts hitherto untouched, and the police and military have extended. Armed men are entering public houses tenanted by Roman Catholics. One publican was killed and two wounded. The casualties on Tuesday were 10 killed and 60 wounded in hospital. A workmen's car carrying 70 Unionists from the Workman Clarke shipbuilding yard was bombed in Corporation Street. The side of the car was torn out and three occupants were killed and •10 wounded. A scene of desperate panic followed. Another bomb was thrown 'at a party of shipyard workers who were watching a fire in Newtownards Road. Twelve of the party were wounded. Under cover of a fog snipers renewed attacks on men going to work yesterday morning-. One man was shot dead and a woman seriously wounded. During the fusillade a man aged 70 dropped dead from heart failure due to fright. Later a stray bullet killed two clerks in a labour bureau. The remainder of the staff fled panicstricken. A policeman was shot in the eye and seriously injured in North Queen Street.

The terrorism on Monday night affected a wide area and trams were diverted. Military searchlights were used in an endeavour to locate the gunmen.

TOWN KOV/ QTJIETER.

(Received 11.30 n.nU LONDON, November 23. Belfast is quieter to-day, though a man named Blunton, in charge of dock lubourers, was shot dead this morning. (A. and N.Z. Cable.)

STOLEN WEAPONS RECOVERED

FIVE ARRESTS MADE. (Received 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, November 23. Two machine-guns and two rifles were stolen from the storeroom of the Guard barracks at Chelsea. The police recovered the whole of the weapons stolen from Windsor and Chelsea and arrested one soldier and four civilians. The house where the arrests were made was rented by a prominent member of the Koger Casement Sinn Fein Club. — (A. and N.Z. Cable.)

MACHINE-GUNS STOLEN.

FROM IRISH GUARD BARRACKS LONDON, November 23. Two maehinc-guns and 20 rifles have been stolen from the Victoria Barracks, Windsor, where the Irish Guards are stationed. It is believed that the raid was carried out by men in three motor cars, which were seen to enter the barracks. The sentries thought that the cars contained officers, and passed them in and out. The weapons were missed yesterday morning after inquiries concerning the cars by the officer7sf~fcbe guard. Several non-commissioned officers and men and a civilian have been arrested.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.) / '