THE OLD WEAPON OF COERCION AGAIN.

Grey River Argus, 3 June 1922, Page 5

THE OLD WEAPON OF COERCION AGAIN.

A NEW THREAT OF WAR ON IRELAND. ’ENGLAND OBJECTS TO DRAFTED CONSTITUTION. THE LONDON VERSION OF THE CONFERENCE.

[Australian and New Zealand Cable Association.] (Received June 2, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, June 1. There has been a prolonged Irish conference here, in which Mr Lloyd George, Mr Churchill, Lord Birkenhead. and Sir 11. Greenwood have been most active. It has failed to find a solution for problems rising from the draft constitution for the Irish Free State. After a discussion with Mr Collins and Mr Griffiths (Irish Ministers) and the other Irish delegates, the British Cabinet has come to a conclusion that the Irish constitution does not carry out the letter or spirit of the treaty. The British Cabinet has asked that the constitution shall be revised. It is stated the only hope is that a conference of Irish leaders, to be held at Dublin in the week-end, may lead to a decision by them to revise the draft constitution, so as to save Ireland from a renewal of warfare. It is understood the draft constitution in no way follows the Canadian precedent, as was promised, and that, in some respects, it is a violation of the Canadian system. The British Government has warned the Irish Free State that any attempt to deviate from the terms of the London Treaty must wreck the treaty and that it will reverse the British Government’s policy. Collins’s Attitude. Mr Collins is stated to have replied he was personally desirous of carrying out the treaty, but he pointed out everything must be done to reconcile the De Valera Party. THE LONDON PRESS LOOKS FOE WAR. LONDON, June 2. The political correspondents of the London daily papers say that civil war in Ireland is not far off.

A HORRIBLE TALE OF BELFAST ATROCITIES. MANY PEOPLE FLEE IN A PANIC. (Received June 2, 8.40 p.m.) LONDON, June 2. The shooting in Belfast has been marked by the most atrocious crimes. Many people have been killed in their houses, where the factions pursued them. Some houses in which corpses lay were set on fire. The bodies were rescued just in time to prevent cremation. In some instances the firemen's hoses were actually played over themselves. Bayonet charges by the military dispelled the mobs, who joined in an appalling battle. The situation is still grave. Entire families are fleeing from Belfast in a panic. (Received June 2, 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, June 1. The situation in Belfast continues one of the gravest character. The Opera House has been closed. The picture palaces and music halls are doing so little business (owing to Sinn Fein threats to blow them up) that they now contemplate closing down immediately. . There were numerous attempts at murder and burnings during the afternoon. There were 14 killed in the Millfield area within 24 hours. The military are doing their best to isolate the Sinn Fein gunmen. The machine guns of the military were raking the streets, but the Sinn Ferners were well concealed. The machine gunners were not expert, and their machine guns finally jammed.

Several civilians, some of whom were Roman Catholics, were killed and wounded, after a bomb was t hrown at a tramcar. The loyalist mob got out of hand and they burned several houses in the Catholic area, the gunmen were always able to escape. Pedestrians meanwhile went to work at the risk of their lives. Several were killed or wounded while taking no part in the conflict, including one boy going to school, and an old blind beggar, who was selling laces. In one case,-a Sinn Feiner stopped a man who was driving a motor lorry. He brutally murdered him, and drove off with the lorry, throwing the body in the roadway. During one day the Belfast Fire Brigade answered 26 calls to the houses. There are many cases of looting, including spirit shops. Some boys ran about offering bottles to any passerby, and hiding when the police came in view.