The Washington herald., 1922-02-09
Collins Agrees to Do Ut.
most to Return Kid
mapped Men.
ARMS DISTRIBUTION
ORDERED BY CRAIG
Desperate Encounter at
Fermanagh Reported
From Dublin

LONDON, Feb, S.-The outbreak
of border warfare between Ulster
and Ireland. marked in the past
twenty-four hours by raids across
the border by armed republicans
and the seizure of prominent Or
angemen, has created one of the
gravest situations since the truce
was declared between Sim Fein and
Great Britain.
The kidnapping OF Northern
Unionists. six Of whom are known
to have been taken by armed men
and rushed over the border. be-
came the subject OF a bitter de-
bate tonight, both in the House of
Commons and in the Lords.
Austin Chamberlain. for the COW
ernment. disclosed to the commons
that the cabinet had held a meet
ing Immediately upon receipt OF
the news. and that Instructions had
been sent at once to the British
commanding officer in ireland to
afford Ulster all necessary aid for
defense Of the northern boundary
Reinforcements will be sent IL nee
essary. -
Held to Imperial Treaty.
The government also telegraphed
to Michael Collins. head Of the pro-
visional Irish government. appris.
Ing him of the version of the raids
received in London from Sir James
Craig's government. and adding:
IF anything approximating this
has. happened. his Majesty's gov
ernment takes the gravest view OF
the situation. Acts such az These
are a breach in the truce and they
gravely imperH the treaty"
| The note asked Collins to advise
| Immediately whether steps were be-
I ing taken to release the kidnapped
Ulstermen,s and also whether thu
| provisional government would un
dertake to provide against re-
currence of these grave out
RACES"
In reply to this Winston Churchill
| read to the commons a messag,
received from Collins stating tha
the provisional government woul'
do its utmost to insure a safe re-
turn of the kidnapped men.
Collins Explains Outbreak.
I'VE do not pretend that this IL
a satisfactory incident" Churchill
| declared, "and the house will b.
mistaken il 1t supposes that ther'
will be nothing but satisfactory In
| cidents during the next fev
months"
In a statement at Dublin, Collins
blamed the outbreak on Ulster:
proposed execution of a number o.
! Sinn Fein prisoners. which was Sc
for today. News that a reprieve hat
been granted these men failed t.
reach Southern Ireland, and thu
raids resulted.
| TT is what feared" Collins
said, "and II is what any sensible
person would have expected. Peo
pie whose feelings have been out
ragged pending these execution!
could have taken no other action.
| Meanwhile. Sir James Craig or
dered the mobilization and complete
arming Of all the special con
stabuIary in Tyrone and Fer
managh, and followed this with an
other public message to Ulster IL
which he said:
1T is necessary for me to re
| main in London to insure agains
a repetition of the outrage, an
also to insure that our people wht
have been carried across the border
will be speedily restored
Orders Arms Distribution. 4
Il shall support every individua
In whatever manner Is considered
wise. and l have arranged for al
immediate distribution of arms nee
essary to protect the border. Every
possible help will be given.
81 reiterate my determination no
to surrender any portion of Ulster
without our consent. These bastard
ly outrages are never to be for
gotten, and will merely strengthen
our determination that what Ulstei
has she will hold"
In the House of Lords, Lord Lon
donderry moved an amendment rC
the address to the king, "regrettins
that there was no assurance L
Ulster of the maintenance of hel
territorial integrity" The amend
ment. was defeated by a vote of Il
| to SO, and the address itself wal
approved.
From Dublin comes the report o.
q desperate encounter at Fer
managh. where republicans in forc'
crossed the border to seize specia
protection in reprisal for the arres
Of Gaelic football players. The re
/ publicans were met by special po
licemen who refused to halt. Their
was firing on both sides and rein
i forcements were hurried up by tn,
4 police. One man was killed.
uIROuJTO pIANC