IRISH PERPLEXITY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18026, 27 February 1922, Page 7

IRISH PERPLEXITY.

jffiff CONFERENCE, PRE STRIFEJN ULSTER. POLICE PATROLS BOMBED. [THE SOUTHERN ELECTION. BOTH SIDES PREPARING. REPUBLICAN PROPAGANDA. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 5.30 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. Feb. 25. Mr. Arthur Griffith and Mr. E. J. 'Duggan, representing the Irish Free State, conferred with Mr. Winston Churchill and Lord Birkenhead to-day. The conference will bo continued on Sunday. While official circles in London are perplexed regarding tho immediate future of the Irish question, the pro-treaty party in Dublin has opened election offices, and is methodically inaugurating a campaign. The republicans are likewise operating, and are issuing weekly propaganda, in which the treaty is attacked. A prominent contributor is Mr. R. C. Barton, who after signing the Irish Treaty, seceded to Mr. do Valera's party. Rival factions in Ulster are embarking on new strife, particularly in Armagh and Tyrone, where police patrols are attacked by wandering bands, who use bombs. It is proposed to organise special Roman (atholic police for Roman Catholic districts in Ulster. The Northern Irish Government has agreed to enrol a limited number of non-Sinn Fein and non-republi-can soldiers. The Northern Government announce;, that it cannot proceed with the Clones inquiry until the republicans release the special constables whom they captured in the affrayi as the men are essential witnesses. Reports from Cork state that the British evacuation of Southern Ireland will recommence on Monday. LONDON PRESS ANXIETY. SETTLEMENT IN DANGER. PEOPLE CHEATED OF VOTE.: United Serrice. LONDON. Feb. 24. A serious impression has been made in the House of Commons by the announcement that consideration of tho Irish Bill has been placed in abeyance. The Daily Mail, in a leader, considers that the settlement under the treaty is left suspended in mid-air, exposed to considerable danger. It is impossible to understand Mr. Michael Collins' purpose in agreeing to a postponement, but it discloses the remarkable fact that the British Government does not seem to have stipulated a period for ratification of the treaty. The Dublin correspondent of the Times states that the postponement cheats the people of the right to vote for or against the plain issue of the treaty. It is believed that tho mass of the people want the treaty, but it would seem that Mr. de Valera has parted Messrs. Griffith and Collins from their great source of strength. The treaty will be submitted along with the constitution of the Free State, and the people must accept both or neither. MONEY FOR IRELAND. FREE STATE WITHOUT FUNDS. BRITISH VOTE OF £1,130,000. i. and N.Z. LONDON, Feb. 24. Mr. Winston Churchill, in Committee of Supply on the supplementary vote of j £1,130,000 in aid of miscellaneous services administered by the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State, said that before the war on the whole the bal.uice as between Great Britain and Ireland was in favour of Ireland, but through revolutions in our taxation following tho war, Ireland had become a substantial contributor to tbe United Kingdom revenue. Ireland would be the loser by the Free State Agreement Bill. During the fighting in Ireland a great deal of injury had been done to persons and property in Southern Ireland, and a fund had been formed from which Britain was proceeding to meet claims in respect of such damage. In discussion Irish Ministers pointed out that the local authorities had been deprived of revenue on which they counted, leading to the neglect of services dependent on such ruvenue, and strongly pressed that revenue should be placed at their' disposal to help them to deal with the economic situation and help the local Goveminent to resume its normal functions. The Governmrnt felt that however justifiable the interception of these revenues was as a war measure, local authority funds were not th e proper funds out of which to defray injuries to persons and property. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had also promised Sir James Craig to seek authority to pay the Northern Government in respect of similar losses sustained prior to January 14 this year the amount of £1,500,000. The Government would create a commission of three members representing the Imperial and Northern and Southern Irish Governments, with an indipendent judicial chairman. Tho commission would fix the responsibility for damage, and each Government would bear the financial cost of Us own casualties. Sir Hamar Greenwood, Chief Secretary for Ireland, replying to members' queries, said that h e could not say whether the unpublished report of the inquiry into the Cork fires in Dwember, 1920, conducted by General Sir E. P. Strickland, would be available. Replying to a question as to whether the Government was justified in withholding money until the Provisional Government could carry on, ho said there was no justification for saying that the Government could not carry on. The Provincial Government was without funds. He agreed to hand over the sum mentioned yn the Estimates for local Irish purposes. Sir Hamar Greenwood added that claims from Northern Ireland had been reduced from one-third to a half in a great majority of cases. The total amount of claims in Southern Ireland was about £9,000,000, of which about £1,000,000 had been paid. The vote was carried after a division.