IRELAND

Feilding Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 4594, 22 May 1922, Page 2

IRELAND

COLLINS AND DE VALERA AGREE. ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN JUNE. (By Electric Cain*-Copyright.) Aust and N.Z. Cablo association London, May 10. At a meeting of IlJail Eircanu, President Griffiths presented a motion that the election be held on June 10. He said the people had been muzzled long enough and concluded that those who attempted, by force of arms, to prevent the'lrish people from exercising their right to vote they would bo met on that issue. Mr Brugha, opposing the motion, first spoke in Irish, then, addressing his opponents, said: "I will now speak in the language of your masters. If the election is persisted in, Ireland will he divided into two British Dominions. 1 dare say we must again fight the English before we got what we want." Mr O'Callaghan, Lord Mayor of Dublin, pointed out the small difference between the parties to the peace committee. A discussion followed upon the suggestion that Messrs De Valcra and Collins should lay their points of agreement before the Dail, which then adjourned. When the Dail reassembled, the Speaker announced that Messrs De Valcra and Collins had reached an agreement on the following tearms: Firstly, that a National Coalition panel, representing both parties in the Dail and Sin>i jFehi organisa.tions, be sent forward on the ground that the national position requires the cntrustment of the government of the country into the joint hands of those who have been the. strength of the National situation during the last few years without prejudice to their respective positions. Secondly, that the panel sent forward as from the Sinn Fein organisations number from each party according to their present strengths in the Dail. Thirdly, that candidates be nominated by existing party executives. Fourthly, that every and any interest bo free to contest the elections with the National Sinn Fein panel. Fifthly, that constituencies where there is no contest continuo with the present representation. Sixthly after the election, the executive to consist of the President-elect as formerly, the Minister of Defence, and nine other Ministers, five from the majority and four from the minority party, each party choosing its own nominees, and the President allocating the portfolios. Seventhly, that in the event of the Coalition find dissolution necessary, a general election bo held as early as possible on adult suffrage. The agreement was greeted with applause. Mr Griffith proposed that the elections be held in June subject to the above agreement. Mr De Valera seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. The Dail then adjourned till the 31st inst.

DARK DEEDS. London, May 20. Nine men this afternoon entered Messrs Garrett and Little's cooperage works, found live coopers working, demanded the religion of each at the revolver point, and shot four Protestants named Murphy, Maxwell, Patterson, and Boyd, and left the fifth, who is a Catholic, alone. When the premises opened for business, armed gangs entered several Belfast warehouses and held up the staffs. Petrol was sprinkled throughout the buildings, then ignited. Detective Heslep, while following four men who raided a shop in Belfast, was shot dead after effecting the first arrest. The Corn Mill public house w r as burnt down, and two houses partially destroyed by fire in South Durow. All the victims were Catholics These outrages arc believed to be reprisals for recent murders of constabulary. The situation at Belfast is very grave. People are in a, state of apprehension. The destruction of Shane's Castle was carried out at 2 o'clock in the morning, when Lord and Lady O'Neill were in bed. The former, aged 82, is the father of the Speaker of the Ulster Parliament, and had to be carried out on a stretcher.

During fighting in Antrim, a special constable named McNeill was killed. The police defendo dthe baracrks heroically. The residence of .Ronald McNeill, member of the House of Commons, at Cushenden, was burned and many valuables destroyed. A military officer motoring out with his wife to Ballykiiiden ran into an ; ambush. The. wife was killed and tho officer picked up later unconscious. AWFUL DESTRUCTIVENESS. (Received May 22, 8.55 a.m.) (United Service.) Lorndon, May 20. Details of incendiarism in Ireland show that O'Neill's Castle was attacked in military style, a large force crossing Lough Neagh in the small ' hours of the morning, surrounding tho Castle, and surprising the watchman. They then forced the petrol store. The land steward and carpenter rushed out, but were promptly .captured. The latter was shot in the leg. They and tho other servants wero confined in the kitchen. The pantry boy was forced at the revolver's point to carrv petrol, with which, the attackers saturated tho woodwork before setting fire to-the house, the raiders retiring when the Castle was well abraze. Tho burning of old Court Castle, filled with i>riceles3 heirlooms, was similarly carried out. Lady Deros was suddenly awakened, and watched the conflagration from her lawn in her nightclothes. Another fine residence, Craigbally Houso, near Ballymena, was burned in tho same manner. It was the seat of the Hon. W. R. Young, brother of General Young, Sergeant-at-Arms in the Ulster Parliament. In this case the incendiarists took the precaution to entirely isolate the place, cutting the telephone wires, and destroying''the telephone office. There was fierce fighting in tho village of Crishendall, where tho slimmer residence of Mr Ronald McNeill, a meinber of the House of Commons, was burned. A large band of armed men took possession of the village at midnight and fought the police for hours. Ihe police building was badly damaged. The police refused, to surrender. Drumnasole House, the residence of tho Turnley.s was also burnt. When the police mustered after the retreat of the raiders, they found one constable killed and four wounded—exactly half tho garrison. So far as*s known, four raiders were killed seven wounded and ten captured. DISTRESSFUL BELFAST. (Received May 22, 11.30 a.m.) London, May 21. Ten persons are dead and 10 seriously wounded as tho result of the shooting in Belfast on Saturday night. Firing was renewed on Sunday, when three more were killed and 14 were sent to the hpspital suffering from gunshot wounds; An armed gang shot Mrs Shields, a widow, and her married daughter : when they ontered her house and ■ were not/able to find her son.