IRELAND

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 4593, 19 May 1922, Page 1

IRELAND

SOUTHERN NEGOTIATIONS FAIL. DE VALERA MAKES AN OFFER. (By Electric Cable—Copyright.) Aust. aau N.Z. Cattle Association.! London, May 17. Tho breakdown of the Irish peace negotiations is due to the anti-Tveaty-ites' insistence on maintains the strength of representation in the Dail Eircann and the refusal of -the Treaty party's offer of representation on the basis of six to four. Mr Do Valera, speaking in the Dail Eireann after the breakdown of the peace committee, said: "We realise a majority of Dail Eireann accepted the Treaty.' If we had the power_ we would reverse that majority. What we desire to know is, does the Government desire our co-operation? I. . take the responsibility of offering it." HORRORS OF BELFAST. London, May 17. Belfast last ni-ht was the scene of many sanguinary encounters between Sinn Fein gunmen and the Crown forces. Many casualties occurred in the southern area and included one woman killed and another wounded. Incendiarism was freely indulged in. The northern area was next involved, largo military detachments in armoured cars engaging armed mobs. Terrible fighting continued until the 10 o'clock curfew. The casualties are believed to be grave, but have not yet been ascertained. Sir William Davinson asked in the House of Commons whether British troops had been offered to the Ulster Government to repel organised raids by the Republican army, also whether adequate forces were available in the event of a massed attack' on the Ulster border. Mr Chamberlain said British troops had not been offered to Sir James Craig for any special purpose, but troops stationed in Ulster were available if the civil powers requested their aid. The Government had no reason to believe the available forces were inadequate.

£750,000 VOTE FOR ULSTER. London, May 17., Sir Hamar Greenwood, in committee of tho House of Commons, submitted a vote for throe-quarters of a million sterling, representing half of tho grant to assist the Ulster Government to meet compensation awards under tho Malicious Injuries Act. In discussing Sir Hamar Greenwood's proposal to grant three-quar-ters of a million to Ulster, Mr Devlin pointed out that tho Provisional Government was undertaking to pay for damage done by Sinn Feiners in Southern Ireland. Britain was paying for damage done by the Black and Tans and the Imperial Government was now coming to the Ulster Government's help. That was the British taxpayers' affair, but what provision was being mado for Roman Catholic sufferers m Ulster, who had only received the most meagre compensation under _ County Court awards. A commission should be established in Ulster to deal with such cases. Captain Craig said there was an obligation on the part of the Imperial Government to assist the Ulster Government to remove this heavy burden from a young Government, just functioning. Commander Kenworthy opposed the vote as the beginning of a vast system of subsidies to Ulster and moved the reduction of the vote by half a million. Colonel Ward said that as the. disorders in Ulster were duo to British policy, the Northern Government was taking its adequate share of liability in undertaking to pay one third of the damages. Sir Godfrey Collins pointed out that during the current year six and threequarter millions would be paid to sufferers in Ireland. The British Exchequer would have to find £3 for erery pound found by the Ulster Government. Sir Hamar Gronwood said the grant was to relieve local ratepayers of a burden which would mean bankruptcy to local authorities. The cost of making peace in Ireland would be ten millions, assuming there would bo no untoward development. Commander Kenworthy's motion was negatived without division.