NO COERCION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11248, 28 June 1922, Page 6

NO COERCION

ULSTEH AND THE SOUTH IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT WILL SEE PAIR PLAY. THE PRESENT OITLOOK. TV- _p„« A**n. —Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received June 27, 7.0 f) n.m.) LONDON, Juno 26. Mr Winston Churchill. speaking in the Mouse of Commons, said that when the Goi, mmoiit -signed the treaty with the ins’n signatories it had every rea.-on t > Wi-w ihat the signatories represented the settled views of the s. muioiitv of the Dail Eireann and the unit, it authority of the Sinn Fein t ahinet. 'lhe Imperial Government’s police all tile time had been to obtain a free expression without eventing par-tisan-hip by British interference. Kvvrvthing was done l»y Air Do Valera to weaken'and discredit the Provisional Government and to embroil Southern Ireland with Ulster. THE I.R.A. MENACE. Mr Churchill had no hesitation in saving that the horrors which had taki r7 place in Belfast were due to the Organisation of tv. o divisions of the I.R.A. in the Northern territory, and continuous efforts by extreme partisans in the South to break down the Noi'thern Government and force Vlstor under the home rule of Dublin. Air Churchill declared that the Northern Government would be supported effectively mul at all costs if any attempt was made to coerce it into submission to the South. The Imperial Government had supplied the Lister Government with 50,000 stand of arms. THE T"ESTER FRONTIER, The situation on the Ulster frontier was much earicr. A triple arrangement had been made between the Provisional Government, and Ulster whereby a neutral zone five miles wide would be established in the PettigoBelleek district. The Sum Fein had to realise that it could never win Lister except by the latter’s own free will, and the more Sinn Feiners kicked against the pricks the worse it would be for them PREVENTION OF BLOODSHED. The Imperial Government would endeavour to stand between the antagonists. and prevent loss of life and destruction of projierty. It bad been made absolutely clear that any att, nipt to break' into Ulster’s territory would be met and repulsed by Imperial power. Having regard to the fact that there had been no assassination of a prominent man in England for generations, and that even ill the height of the Irish struggle no attempt was made cal the lives of public persons in this country, it was monstrous to make tlio recent tragic event a ground for an attack upon tho police authorities- or the Home Secretary. DUTY OF IRISH GOVERNMENTS. Mr Churelvill said that now that the Northern Government was greatly strengthened it became that Government’s duty to prevent unlawful reprisals however great the provocation, and he was sure the Northern Government would resolutely discharge this duty. Now that the elections were over there wae no excuse for the Provisional Government failing in its duty in accordance with the letter and spirit of the treaty, and in view of the wishes clearly expressed by the Irish people we could not continue to tolerate tire many gross lapses from the treaty and improprieties and irregularities in its execution which wo had put up with or acquiesced in during the last six niontlis. The occupation of the Four Courts in Dublin by the I.R.A. was an affront, and from this nest of anarchy and treason murderous outrages were stimulated and encouraged. There ■would bo a request to the Irish Government to end this. If it did not do so the Imperial Government would regard the treaty as formally violated, and would take the necessary action to safeguard its rights arid interests. “DIEHARD” MOTION DEFEATED. ■Sir Frederick Banbury moved a reduction in the salary of the Chief S- c ret ary for Ireland as a vote of censure on the Government’s Irish policy. Colonel Gretton asked what the Government intended to do to relieve the pi-eople irorn terrorism by gunmen. Sir K. Banbury’s motion was defeated by 1512 votes to To. CHANGE OF POLICY? Air Churchill, in reply to a question, said he -‘certainly did not consider wc ought indefinitely continue to regard with indifference the progressive degeneration into anarchy throughout Ireland.” He had certainly fixed in his own mind definite tests of circumstance and tho time which would determine the moment for a change of policy.” THE MACROOX OUTRAGE. Air Austen Chamberlain, in tho Houso of Commons, referring to the officers kidnapped at Macroon and who are believed to be dead, said it was for the Provisional Government to trace and punish criminals. The Imperial Government would act if the Provisional Government did not. MR BOXAR LAW CRITICISES GOVERNMENT. Mr Bonar Law said ho refused to preach the doctrine that the whole of the Government’s Irish policy was wrong. No one wanted tho Government to go back upon the Irish Treaty, but, personally, he was very anxious about the situation. He doubted whether the Government was dealing in the right way with it. He understood that the Government meant to govern, but it had not dono so. There was no murder in Ulster until thoso dissatisfied with tho treaty began outrages. Tho occupation of the Four Courts in Dublin wan intolerable, as tho occupants were planning outrages there. Britain must tell tho Provisional Government that this must cease or there would bo war. A LITTLE NARRATIVE. Air Ronald McNeill narrated his lant conversation with S'ir Henry Wilson, twenty-four hours before his death. Sir Henry Wilson was about to visit Glasgow, and Air McNeill urged care, saying, -‘You may bo shot at there.” Sir Henry Wilson replied, “Well, they may miss me.” Air AleN'eill: “Yes, but they may hit you.’’ Sir Henry Wilson, in hin whimsical wav. replied: “Yes, thev may. But it would be much nicer to Ik- shot at by thorn than to shako hands with them.” WORK OF SECRET SERVICE. Air E. Shortt (Home Secretary) defended the Secret Service, which, ho declared, wan more efficient than a year ago. The Secret Service advised that robberies of arms and incendiarism might he effected, but it was hoped that the capture of the gang which had been caught would end this. Tho Govetu»’ it had been advised that

there would he no organised murder in Britain. He warmly repudiated the charge that he ignored the information that Sir Henry Wilson was endangered. The Home Office received no such information. PREMIER DROPS A HINT. Mr Lloyd George, in closing the debate, paid a warm tribute to Sir Henry Wilson’s courage, devotion, imagination, and resource. ■ The Premier declared: “The treaty will be justified whatever befalls. If reconquest becomes necessary Britain will have advantages which she did not possess when the treaty began. But it is essential that tho seizure of the Four Courts should be ended quickly.” He said that a communication had been sent to the Sou Eh era Government on the subject, and a serious situation would arise if that Government failed to carry out its duty, but he would rntner say no more, ns there must bo developments in a short time. A HEAVY FINE FOR SMUGGLING CARTRIDGES. LONDON, June 26. Customs officers boarded tho steamer Foyncs, lying in the Thames, and found a box containing six hundred cartridges. Prendergast, one of the ship’s stewards, who lives in Limerick, and who admitted that ho had bought tho ammunition for friends in Ireland for self-defence, was fined £IOO, with tho alternative of two months’ impriaonmca*