THE BELFAST STRIKES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9008, 15 August 1907, Page 1

THE BELFAST STRIKES.

__ ♦— ' THE WORK OF THE TROOPS. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. ARBITRATION PROBABLE. THE DISTURBED AREA. SUCCESSFUL MEDIATION. THE MILITARY REPORTS. FORBEARANCE OF THE SOLDIERS. United Press Aseociation— By Electric Telegraph— Copyright. '' LONDON, August 14. One of the Royal Engineers' searchlight companies , with* apparatus has been 'hurried to- Belfast. ' t When.- the -troops returned to" bar- ' racks on Monday night tney had been under intermittent onslaughts for seven fcours. The Rifle Brigade and Sussex Regiment bore the brunt. The troops separated tne Nationalist md Protestant quarters, The Protesttents loudly cheered the troops. Women rioters loosened stones for liours and participated in stone' throwing- , • Everything is quiet nowi ' In the House of Commons Mr Birrell, fcraweririg questions, mentioned the willingness of the .Trades Unionists at Belfast to arbitrate. He was hopeful of -an 'early satisfactory result. The Board of Trade had placed two representatives at the disposal of the two parties. • Questioned regarding Mr Grayson's speech, Mr Birrell remarked :— ' ' This is' not the time to "pay much attention - to wild language, to which no importance is attached by any man." (Belfast cheers). He added: "The Belfast people, with all their faults, are not likely to take any guidance from Mr Grayson." (General cheers). • The Lord Mayor of Belfast received » large deputation of leading Catholics ; in the Falls Road district, and decided not to send troops to tne disturbed erea unless rioting should be renewed, the deputation promising to use its best endeavours to prevent a recurrence. Many priests talked to the people. Mr J." Devlin, a member of the House of Commons, and Mr Larkin addressed a meeting, and induced, the people to go to their homes. ' Mr Haldane read military reports i . showing tl_t forbearance- and steadiness of a picket of the Berkshire Regiment on Saturday, when three>-quarter_ of the • mob were women and children, .while men remaining in the rear threw paving stones and bottles. The Middlesex Dragoons on Sunday behaved admirably, though mercilessly stoned' at short range. The jnob extinguished the street lamps and placed wire ropes across the., streets, impeding the cavalry. The picket on Monday was , .hard pressed when the order to fire was given. Seven rounds were fired. His information was to the effect (that the participators in the attacks were not strikers, but a mob. The military reports showed that the. riots were mainly in the Nationalist quarter in Falls Road.