IRELAND'S BETRAYAL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 120, 23 May 1922, Page 5

IRELAND'S BETRAYAL.

THE NEW AGREEMENT. MAIN ISSUES SHIRKED. RISK OF WAR WITH NORTH. THE OBSERVER'S" COMMENT. (F..v f'elile -Press Association.—Copyright.) iKc'MMveil !>.::o n.in.l LONDON, May ;•■» The l.uiidon "Obnerver" says: -The Irish Treaty is in graver danger than at any timn aineo it wan signed. In effect the agreement is nearly a complete surrender of the mo treaty to the antitreaty party, ami the main issues have been shirked. The price of Sinn Fein unity is the silencing <if the. peoplc'si voice, iiml m> opposition has a chance against Sinn Fein. "The new coalition lias artistically stereotyped the present position in such n way that the majority of the electorate must 1»- stifled. Either the Coalition will liold together on the baeia of renewed united hostility to Britain and rioter, or it is a more grotoßque sham than the .'ird I'Mieis agreement of February. In either cnee the Irish people have niiffcrcd brtrayal. We four that the future of Ireland has been sacrificed to the interests of pnrty. We fear that Mr. Collins is not big enough, and Hint he has found the risk of war with the North ii more comfortable risk for Sinn Fciners than the assertion of democracy for South Ireland.'"—(A. and N.Z.) BELFAST ASSASSINATIONS. tWO MURDERS AND A BOMB. > CioePlreU 1 p.m.) ! LONDON, Ma.v 22. Belfast's reign of terror continue*. Jlr. Twadde.ll, an I'lster Parliamentarian anil a prominent Urangoman, was assassinated in the utrret to-day within 50yds of his «ho]i. The assailants escaped. A very powerful infernal machine, charged with liigh explosives. vas discovered hi n cable box at the (urn Market.

Ex-Head Crnrtalili- Ballantine. of (ho H.1.C.. was shot dead on Sunday at )!,irhoi> in I ho presence of his -.vile and family- Ballufitinr only returned lidne on Saturdiiy after disbandnveut in or<i»' - to remove hi* family and furniture on; of the Irish Free State r.rca.

Snipers continue their murderous work in Belfast. Each cntrnge is followed promptly by a ferocious act of reprisal. A sniper etationod out>-idr a Koman Catholic chapel shot a worshipper when leaving. Five nrme.d men uverc-iinie tin- watchmen of the corporation depot in Short Strand, set the building on lire, nnd flunj; a bon'> which blow off the- roof.- (A. and NX Cable.)

The "Time*,' , in a h-ader commenting on the Irish nprpc:nent, says: "Xo Government in IrolHiid can be psiablUhcd en a fifrniiii'nt bacis nnlcM it "ill conft.rm to t!i« principles of the pvacp treaty. In view of the lie.v ngrcrincnt Dip Parliament and people of J r .r.gland an entitled to :> prompt nnd definite explanation of an event that lias not h«en explained. It appears to menace tin? only foundations upon which a final Anglo-Irish settlement is practicable."— (■•Times.")