Ulster strike halted life of province

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32879, 30 March 1972, Page 1

Ulster strike halted life of province

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

BELFAST, March 29. Northern Ireland was recovering today from a devastating general strike, climaxed by the union of moderate and extremist Protestant leaders in opposition to the British Government.

A two-day strike called by the Protestant hard-liner William Craig—-to demonstrate hostility to the British administrative takeover of Northern Ireland—virtually halted business and industry, stopped trains, planes, ferries and buses, and cut power supplies by two-thirds.

Yesterday afternoon about 100,000 supporters of Mr Craig’s militant Ulster Vanguard movement gathered in one of the largest rallies ever seen in Northern Ireland. The site was the lawn of Stormont Palace, outside Belfast, the seat of the provincial Parliament then holding what was likely to be its last session. To wild cheers from the crowd, Mr Craig was joined

on a balcony of Stormont by Northern Ireland’s Prime Minister (Mr William Faulkner). The two men shook hands in a symbolic gesture of unity, and Mr Faulkner told the crowd that the Government of Northern Ireland had been betrayed by the Government in London. CRAIG’S VANGUARDS The Prime Minister’s surprise appearance at the rally touched off speculation that he would play a crucial role in an "alternative government” which Mr Craig’s Vanguards are planning to set up. Mr Craig, who was dropped from the Cabinet of the Protestant - dominated Unionist Government in 1968, for .his ultra-Right-wing views, told his supporters thatMr Faulkner had been

“shabbily treated” by the British Government. The runaway success of the two-day strike by loyalists has underlined just how effective Protestant plans can be. Observers have not been slow to note how much more disruption the stoppage caused compared with a similar gesture two months ago by the civil rights supporters. FAMILIAR PATTERN Meanwhile, the familiar pattern of violence returned to Northern Ireland after three relatively peaceful days. A bomb planted in a van exploded outside the police station in the town of Limavady, near Londonderry, killing two passing motorists—throwing their car on to the pavement as a burning hulk.

Security forces quickly blamed Irish Republican Army guerrillas, who have claimed responsibility for similar car-bomb explosions recently. In London, legislation for governing Northern Ireland was passed by the House of Commons by an overwhelming vote of 483 to 18 on the second reading. The measure is due to become law tomorrow after passing through the final Parliamentary stages and gaining Royal assent. BRITISH PLAN

Mr William Whitelaw, who is to administer the province as a Secretary of State, told the House that he would consider adding an assurance to the bill that Northern Ireland would remain a part of the United Kingdom as long as the majority there wanted this. The British plan will prorogue the Parliament at Stormont for at least a year, leaving responsibility for the province’s affairs to Mr Whitelaw, who will be assisted by junior Ministers and an advisory commission of local residents. Mr Whitelaw promised to review personally the files on all 680 men at present interned without trial in- the province as suspected urban guerrillas. Mr Whitelaw said he would take complete responsibility for his decisions on the detentions. OPPOSITION PLEDGE “If I can find some cases which can be brought to trial they will be, but I must arouse no false hopes until I have studied the situation.” The Vanguards—dedicated to preserving the powers of Northern Ireland’s Protestant majority—have condemned the appointment of Mr Whitelaw and plans for an advisory commission.

But the main opposition party in Northern Ireland, the Social Democratic and Labour Party—which commands widespread support among the one-third Roman Catholic minority—have pledged their co-operation. (Profile of Craig. Page 11.)