RESPONSIBILITY FOR RAIDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 34, 10 February 1922, Page 5

RESPONSIBILITY FOR RAIDS.

I.R.A. CHIEF'S ADMISSION. "PATIENCE SORELY TRIED." (Received 2 p.m.) LONDON, February 9. The "Star's" Belfast correspondent states that Mr. O , Duffy (chief of staff of the Republican army), in a statement says: "The patience of our people in Ulster has been sorely tried lately by <tontinuou3 raids, arrests, and tortures by agents of the Northern Government."

Mr. O'Duffy admits that the men captured acted under his orders to saw life and property from the ravages of Orange mobs. He declares that the culminating point was the evident intention of the Northern Government to hang the Dcrry gaol prisoners, as was evidenced by the erection of a scaffold and the arrival of a hangman.

Mr. O'DufTy concludes: "Thorp can be peace in Ulster when the Northern Government wills. There won't be pence while men are iv custody."—(A. and NX Cable.)

; MUNITIONS FOR THE SOUTH. HANDED OVER BY BRITAIN. I (Received 2 p.m.) I LONDON, February 9. The Irish disturbances formed the subject of a series of questions in the House of Commons. Mr. Winston Churchill said the Provisional Government had not requested Britain to retain troops in Ireland. It would be impossible to give the date of the with- , drawal of troops from Southern Ireland. Ho was arranging to transfer a large portion of army stores to the Provisional Government, but the transfer of anything in the nature of munitions, war or transport woul dbe strictly regulated. A member asked, as the possibility of civil war existed, would Mr. Churchill undertake that not another rifle bullet would be handed over. Mr. Churchill: I will give no such undertaking. So long as the Provisional Government carries out the treaty we will equip it with all the means to maintain order within its own I territory. I Mr. Churchill, replying to a question I whether Ulster would receive the same consideration, said the Imperial Government was responsible in every way for j assistance in the maintenance of law I and order throughout Norethern Ire-! J land, and its functions would be disj charged with adequate forces. The Irish Free State Agreement Bill was read a first time in the House of : Commons. — (A. and N.Z. Cable.) I CABINET'S ACTION. DEFENCE OF THE FRONTIER. J MESSAGE TO MR. COLLINS. J LONDON", February 0.

In the House of Commons to-day, Mr. Austen Chamberlain read the following message from the Northern Irish Government: "'Large bands crossed * the frontier into the Counties of Londonderry, Tyrone, and Fermanagh, and occupied the houses of leading citizens on the Ulster side of the boundary. Numerous leading citizens, including the High Sheriff have been wounded or kidnapped, and taken across the border to the South. The captures include 20 Ulster special constables. The raiders blew up bridges. The Ulster police captured 11 men armed with bombs and revolvers, who have been identified as members of the Irish Republican Army.

Mr. Chamberlain said that directly this message was received the Cabinet met and decided to telegrah to Mr. Michael Collins and the general officer commanding the troops in Ireland. The telegram sent to Mr. Collins read as follows: "Herewith is a telegram received from the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. If anything approximating to this has happened His Majesty's Government takes the gravest view of the situation. Such acts are a breach of the truce, and gravely imperil the treaty. We shall he glad to hear immediately that you are taking steps to ensure the release of the prisoners and to provide against a recurrence of these grave outrages.''

Tho telegram to the central officer commanding in Ireland was as follows: "You will, of course, give the Northern Government all necessary aid in defence, of the northern boundary, and will not hesitate to ask for reinforcements if necessary. We have called on the Irish Provisional Government to release the prisoners. The troops in Northern Ireland will act in support of the civil authority in defence of the existing frontier until a new one is established whenever the Government of Northern Ireland requests assistance."

NOT A BOUNDARY MATTER. I Mr. Winston Churchill later announced to the House of Commons that the Gov- ' eminent had received a telegram from Mr. Collins in reply to the Government's message. Mr. Collins replied that the outbreak was not due to the question of j the boundary dispute, but to anxiety and apprehension regarding the fate of j Londonderry prisoners under sentence of 1 death. Mr. Collins said that he had

' made special efforts to prevent these i acts of violence, although he was not aware of the act of clemency regarding the prisoners. I Mr. Churchill added that the Irish 1 Provisional Government had given assurances that it was doing everything it possibly could to ensure the safety of the prisoners and their early release.

REGRETTABLE, BUT NOT SURPRISING.

; In the House of Lords the Marquis of Londonderry moved an amendment to the Address-in-Reply regretting that the Government had not given Ulster an assurance that her area would be maintained. Whatever was agreed to regardI ing the Irish Free State, he said, Ulster • was determined to resist encroachment. I A situation would arise indistinguishable from civil war.

Lord Carson said "that the joybells over the Irish settlement had stopped ringing. The raids into Ulster," he continued, "have brought us face to face with the realities of the situation. The invasion means that the Government has laid down that the way to get what you want in Ireland is by murders, kidnappings, and arson."

The Lord Chancellor, Lord Birkenhead, reproved Lord Carson for the tenor and tone of his speech as unlikely to assist toward the desired settlement. He was unable to believe that the raiders were under the orders of the Irish Provisional Government. If some of the 70,000 Irish Republican troops got out of hand it was regrettable and serious, but not surprising.

Lord Londonderry's amendment tvas negatived by 46 votes to 39, and the I Address was agTeed to.—(A. and N.Z.)