The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-14
IRISH SITUATION
 CAUSING ALARM.
Is Steadily Growing Worse and No Secret Made of
 UneaSineSS Felt
By Associated Press

killed one child and so seriously
 wounded three other children
 that they are not expected to re-
 cover. There were numerous
 other casualties from the bomb.
 but as ambulnnces carried the in-
 Jured to hospitals the cxnct mum
 her or the nature of their injury
 is not known.
 London. February ii Hcl-
 fast cOrrespondcnf ress
 RsSocIat ton SayS 1eolr
 explosion r. aeae- fret ia,
 night causeo saztAtas nr1ers
 children.
 London, February 1s,-Tne irish situation since the raids over the Ul- ster border has steadily become worse and no secret is made Of the grave alarm with which it is viewed in official circles in London. Wins ton Spencer Churchill. secretary of the colonies. declared in the House of Commons today that the shooting of the Ulster special constables at Clones has greatly aggravated the situation.
 The Evening Standard asserts that Ireland is on the brink of civil war and quotes a member of the govern ment as saying that while the gov ernment hesitates to do anything which the Sim Feiners cold inter- pret as provocative, Swift military preparations have already been made to prevent an armed invasion of Fer managh and Tyrone.
 Tn the light of the developments of the last few days much significance is attached to the suspension today of the evacuation of British troops from southern Irish ports. The Irish of- flee explains that the suspension was ordered pending a decision regarding the extent of the endorsements to be sent to Ulster Sir James Craig Ulster premier, announced tonight that the Ulster garrison of British troop. was to be increased from 10 battalions, the previous number. tc IA. The week end rioting in Belfast was continued today, the death toll from Saturday being about 12 killed and 20 or more wounded. The curfew was reimposed tonight. The shooting affrays in Belfast during the last 24 hours occurred over a widely eI- tended area.
 Gunmen Keep Hidden
 The gunmen have kept well under cover, and the police and soldiers patrolling In armed cars are having difficulty in locating them.
 Sir James Craig, the Ulster pre- mier, telegraphed the British govern ment tonight asking what action other than dispatching messages to Dublin" the government was takine or had taken to secure the return of the kidnapped loyalists.
 Michael Collins. head of the pro- visional government. in a message to the American Association for the Recognition of the Irish Republic charges that a coup d'etat Is being planned against the provisional gov ernment and warns the association against assisting in any attempt to destroy the new government.
 Mir. Collins informed the associa- tion that the alternative to the treaty is renewal of the warfare and declares that the provisional govern ment wanted the peoples themselves to decide the issue, adding that il they decided for war there need moi be any doubt as to where he would stand.
 In conformity with the decision t' release Irish political prisoners ir England. the government liberated r and the release of, the others Is eX- .pected to follow shortly. Hilarious scenes were at the Peter Head rail way station when those released to- day boarded the train. They had been serving terms varying from to lC years penal servitude. most of then having been found in possession oi arms in Scotland. They sang "Tht Soldiers Song as the train departed
 Disorders in southern Ireland also continue Two daring bank robberies occurred today at Sligo. Eight men drove up in an automobile to the Bank of Ireland. held up the em- ployes and escaped with about 1000 pounds. About the same time the Provincial bank was raided and robhad If 0nn Dounds