IRISH PEACE EFFORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18018, 17 February 1922, Page 5

IRISH PEACE EFFORTS.

15 ULSTERMEN FREED.

EARLY RELEASE OF OTHERS.

LIAISON ON FRONTIER.

TREATY BILL TO PROCEED. By Telegr*.ph-Press Aisociation-Copyricht. (Received 6.30 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, Feb. 15. Tn the House of Commons to-day. Mr. Winston Churchill stated that Mr. Michael Collins, who arrived in London yesterday, had informed him that he had secured the release of [5 of the men kidnapped in Ulster, and hoped that the remainder would bo liberated during the dav.

| Mr. Churchill said that the greatest pressuro was being put on the Irish Provisional Government to effect the release of the remaining kidnapped men. They must look to similar action by the Northern Irish Government to release certain prisoners in their hands, although he did not compare prisoners taken lawfully with the cases of kidnrfpping. He had arranged for two Liaison Commissions to move about the frontier"' between North and South Ireland, keeping in touch with eacli other in order to allay unrest. He had received qualified acceptance of the scheme from the Northern Irish Government and full agreement from Mr. Collins. j

Mr. Austen Chamberlain, replying to a question, said that the Government intended to proceed with the proposed Bill relating to the government of Southern Ireland. Ho added that the lamentable state of affairs made the measure one of urgency in order to give the Irish Provisional Government full legal power to deal with disorder.

It is reported that the evacuation of British troops from Ireland has been resumed.

NEW FRONTIER INCIDENT.

REPUBLICANS CAPTURED.

DETAINED IN ULSTER.

; Au«tr..'ian ind N Z Cable Association. \ (Kecd. 8.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 16. The Dublin correspondent of the Daily News telegraphed last night that Ulster special police had arrested and detained at Newry Barracks an Irish Republican j commandant of Monaghan and two i brothers named Murney, officers of the Irish Republican Army. The incident may be fraught with grave consequences.

SUPPORT FOR ULSTER.

BONAR LAW'S MESSAGE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

) fjteod. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 15. i Mr. Bonar Law. speaking at Glasgow, t said that parts of Ireland were not far i removed from anarchy. Ulster was like a powder mine where an explosion might occur at any moment. He thought that the Government had made a great mis- ; bk e in interfering with the boundaries of lister, which it had set up without lister's consent. ' Amid cheer? and some interruption Mr. Bnnar Law said that he thought they i could send the following , message to Ulster:—"We do not intend to support j you in anything that is wrong, but you : can rely upon the whole-hearted support lof the people of this country in continuing to you the rights Parliament has ■ given ycv." ; THE THREATENED COUP. DE VALERA KEEPS COUNCIL.

Australian and NZ. CabU Association. (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 15. Mr. de Valera, when interviewed, refused to reply to Mr. Michael Collins' | charge that a coup d'etat was beinp;' planned by the opponents of the Irish | treaty. He said that Mr. Collins should : !be asked what he meant. Possibly it was i a case of a prentice hand at its first j " German plot," or merely a little appeal. for sympathy. | Mr. de Valera added: "My work is j to retrieve for the nation what it has momentarily lost and it can be done." j