IRISH AFFAIRS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18656, 11 September 1922, Page 5

IRISH AFFAIRS

POSITION IN THE NORTH. ADDITION OF THREE COUNTIES SUGGESTED. Press Association—By Telegraph— Copyright LONDON, September 8. The Northern Whig states that the Roman Catholic bishops have forwarded to Downing street a suggestion that Donegal, Cavan, and Monaghan should be transferred from the Free State to Northern Ireland. Certain high ecclesiastics visited London in connection with the matter.. The Ulster Unionists say that the addition of these hostile counties would add enormously to their difficulties. —A, and N.Z. Cable. [The six counties which comprise Northern Ireland are Londonderry, Antrim, Tyrone, Down, Fermanagh, and Armagh.] ROUNDING UP IRREGULARS. , LONDON, September 8. A great sweeping movement is reported in Tipperary and Limerick to round up the Irregulars. Many were taken prisoner, some being surprised in their beds.—A. and N.Z. Cable. RAIDS AND. ROBBERIES. LONDON, September 8. The Irregulars raided a bank at Bailieborough (Cavan) and seized £450. Troops went in pursuit, arresting six men and recovering the money. At Belfast a robber knocked down a bank clerk on Palls road. He snatched a bag containing £IOOS and eluded pursuit. Armed men held up 25 postmen in various parts of Cork and seized all the letters. —A. and N.Z. Cable. A DANCE INTERRUPTED. BALLROOM REPPERED WITH BULLETS. LONDON, September 8. There was an unparalleled scene at a dance at Drogheda, which the officers of the Free State garrison attended with an escort. At 1 o’clock the dance was interrupted by rifle fire which smashed the windows,' When dancing was resumed, bullets commenced to pepper the ballroom. The officers ordered the company to throw themselves on the ground. Some of the women refused, urging that their dresses would be spoiled, but when a soldier received a bullet in the leg they risked the damage to their costumes. During a lull in the firing, the waltz was resumed, but the plaster commenced to fall off the walls owing to stray bullets, and the dancers were again obliged to prostrate themselves. They subsequently resumed the waltz while the officers fired their revolvers and rifles. —A. and N.Z. Cable. THE REBEL LEADERS. MR DE VALERA IN HIDING. LONDON, September 8. (Received Sejpt. 10, at 5.5 p.m.) Mr de Valera is hiding in the mountains in County Kerry. Mr Erskine Childers is now chief of staff of the rebels, who have split up into 150 bands numbering 50 or 40 and are carrying out ambushes in various parts. Daniel Breen, on whose head a price of £IOOO was placed dnringffhe days of terror,, and one of the most desperate men in Ireland, is directing operations.—A. and N.Z. Cable. MEETING OF DAIL EIREANN. AN ANTI-TREATYITEN REFUSES TO SIGN THE ROLL. MR COSGBAVE’S CABINET ANNOUNCED. THE GOVERNMENT’S POLICY. LONDON, September 9. (Received Sept. 10, at 11.5 p.m.) The Dail Eireann met to-day. The only Anti-Trcatyite present was Mr L. Ginnell, the Sinn Fein member for Westmeath, who did not participate in the rebellion. Ho formerly created many scenes in the House of Commons, but does not now attend the sittings. , Messrs Cosgrave and Hayes were unanimously elected President and ■ Speaker respectively. Mr Cosgrave announced the members of his Cabinet as follows:—Mr Fitzgerald, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr O'Higgins, Home Affairs;Mr Nelythe, Local Government; Mr Hogan, Minister of Agriculture: Mr M’Grath, Minister of Commerce, Trade, and Labour; Mr Mulcahy, Minister of Defence; Mr Walsh, Postmaster-General; Mr Duggan, honorary Minister. Mr Ginnell, at the opening, circulated a notice of motion challenging the Government’s right to make war on the Republicans, and accusing it of illegally preventing a meeting of the Dail to deal with the situation. He refused to sign the roll, and demanded to know whether the meeting was a Dail for all Ireland or only a portion of a Parliament. Mr Ginnell continued interrupting the proceedings and defied the Speaker’s ruling that as he had not signed the roll he was not a member, and was forcibly ejected, resisting violently. Mr Cosgrave said the Government’s policy would be to carry out the Treaty which established the Constitution, also to assert the authority of Parliament. Ho asked Parliament for powers to restore law and order, to expedite a return to normal conditions, and to carry out the work of reconstruction and reformation.—A. and N.Z. Cable.