IRISH ANXIETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18016, 15 February 1922, Page 7

IRISH ANXIETY.

GRAVE SITUATION.

SPECTRE OF CIVIL WAR.

BRITISH TROOPS TO STAY

KIDNAITED ULSTERMEN.

RELEASE STILL REFUSED,

00UKTER-DEMAND MADE. Br TflTr»ih—Press Association—Copyright. i Received 7.30 p.m.) A. buc N.Z. LONDON. Feb. 14. The situation throughout Ireland, not only in Ulster, is very grave. The Belfast correspondent of the Daily Telegraph Bays: " We .ire sitting on the edge of a volcano. The sooner the Government and the English people realise the position tho better will b 0 the prospect of averting the dancer. Almost everyone in Hfter feels that civil war is about to break out. They think that tho raids and kidnappings were organised if bring it about. There is an ugly temper, not only in Tyrone and Fermanagh, but in Belfast, where the feeling is so strong that there is bound to be an explosion if the kidnapped Ulstermen are not released immediately. The outrages have oade impossible any early effort in the direction of negotiating a settlement between the North and South."

Sir James Craig issued a statement tonight announcing ihat in response to strong representations for further troops the garrison of Northern Ireland will be raised to 14 battalions.

A Dublin message stales that the situation is so serious that the departure of British troops from Dublin, Cork and other southern districts has been suspended. The military garrison in West Cork received orders cancelling its departure which was arranged for to-day. Stores and equipment were transferred bark to the barracks.

Mr. Collins Still Confident. The Central jXews Agency declares that the report of the suspension of the British evacuation is without foundation, but this denial lacks confirmation. Mr. Collins and the Dublin military authorities state that they do not know any reason for suspension. Mr. Collins declares that the Provisional Government is capable of dealing with the whole situation within the Free State.

In the Home of Commons yesterday, Mr. Winston Churchill, replying to questions, said that he had received and had accepted the assurance of the Irish Free State Government that none of the arms handed to the Government were used in the recent raids.

Replying to Captain C. C. Craig, Unionist member for South Antrim, Mr. Churchill said that he believed the Free State Government desired to do all in its power to release the kidnapped men. The extent of their power to do so at the present time was much more doubtful. The difficulty was the so-called Irish republican army organisation in Monaghan, which was incensed at the detention of certain Monaghan men who had been committed for trial. Mr. Collins had been informed that if the imprisoned men applied for bail the Crown would not oppose it, but the men refused to apply.

The shooting and wounding of Ulster constables on Saturday had greatly aggravated the situation. The Government strongly urged the Free State Government to arresi. : jie offenders in order to prevent a repetition of such outrages.

Appeal for Ulster's Forbearance. Mr. Churchill added that while the British Government had informed Sir James Craig that the troops in Ulster would be reinforced to any extent necessary to preserve law and order, it appealed to Sir J. Craig to take effective measures to prevent reprisals or irregular action on his side of the frontier.

It is semiofficially stated in Belfast that British troops will not be sent to the Free State, but will be placed on the northern eide of the Ulster frontier.

A large number of the kidnapped Ulstermen have been transferred from Ballybay, in County Monaghan, to County Cavan.

With reference to the demand for the release of the Monaghan footballers detained in Ulster, the Daily Telegraph states that ten men came over the border armed with bombs and other weapons, and accordingly were taken into custody.

Mr. Collins telegraphed to Mr. Winston Churchill vesterday: "I have just been informed that we have captured three of those responsible for the death of Lieutenant Moean Brown. You may rely that those whom we can prove guilty will be suitably dealt with. Civilians and soldiers have co-operated in tracking those responsible for this abominable action."

PRESSMEN CAPTURED.

DEATH SENTENCES AVERTED.

TIMELY INTERVENTION. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Becd- 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 13.

During the week-end Sinn Feiners captured two London journalists in Monaghan. A representative of the Daily Express handed in a message at Clones on Saturday, describing the shooting affray. Immediately thereafter he was arrested, charged before a republican court-martial with fomenting disaffection in the Irish Free State, and sentenced to death. A district inspector of the Irish Constabulary, however, heard of the trial, and in terceded on behalf of the journalist, who thereupon was deported. The other journalist was arrested and accused of acting as a spy for the Northern Irish Parliament. The Sinn Feiners told him that he would be shot at dawn. Fortunately, Mr. O'Duffy, the chief of staff of tho Irish republican army, intervened, and ordered that the journalist should be given a safe conduct to Belfast.

Raiders in Sligo drove up in motorcar? and robbed the Bank of Ireland of £9000, and the Provincial Bank of £6000.

Extensive sawmills at Ballina, in County Mavo, were maliciously destroyed by Sre. The local commandant of the Irish republican army has proclaimed nmrtiai law in the Crossmolina area.

IRISH FREE STATE BILL.

UNIONIST AMENDMENT, Australian and NZ. Cable Association.

(Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 13. In the House of Commons, Captain C. C. Craig gave notice of the following amendment to the second reading of the Irish Free State Bill:—" The House defines to proceed with the measure until giw-n assurance that tho provision for Betting up a boundary commission will be eliminated, or that any decision shall only take effect after it has received the approval of the Northern Irish Parliament.