IN ULSTER.

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2318, 24 March 1914, Page 2

IN ULSTER.

1 THE IRISH CRISIS. Movements of English Troops. Hue to Misunderstanding of Orders. The Blaze Expected At the End of This Week Officers Resign Commissions. A Fund to Relieve Their Families. Government Bringing Pressure. Grave Issue. The Country at Stake. BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COPYRIGHT. PER PRESQ ASSOCIATION. THE KING ON THE SPOT. London, March. 23. The King has cancelled his visit to the Earl and Countess of Derby in order to remain in closer communication with Ministers. OFFER BY MR. ASQUITH. The Chronicle states that the Right Hon. H. H. Asquith will announce at an early date in the House of Commons his willingness to hold a general election in July provided the Opposition co-operate in passing into law this session the Plural Voting Abolition, Home Rule, and Welsh Disestablishment Bills. A PLEASING INCIDENT. Detachments of the Inniskillen Fusiliers, the Bedfordshire, and Tyrone (Ulster) volunteers attendx ed Armagh parish church. They sat in adjoining pews, and in some cases shared Prayer-books. When leaving, the Regulars and Volunteers mutually saluted. WAY OUT OF DIFFICULTY. The War Office has informed officers domiciled in Ulster, or whose parents reside in Ulster, that they may temporarily resign.their commissions until the trouble is over. THE MANCHESTERS. General Fergusson, addressing the Manchesters at Curragh, said that although, his and his men's sympathies were with Ulster they would loyally obey the King's commands if ordered thither. MEN READY FOR DUTY. The alleged mutiny by the Dorsetshires is officially denied. General Friend, the commander, de■*«»wrw —rarannre is ucruaiii tfVtJrv , ~mn--cer and soldier in the regiment will do his duty to the Crown and the Government if called upon to maintain order. WHY OFFICERS RESIGN. Mr Asquith denies fliat the issue of a warrant was ever intended against the Ulster leaders, nor that a general inquisition into officers' intentions was contemplated, inasmuch, as the Government hope that the contingency for the employment of troops against Ulster will never arise. He hinted Ministers , belief that the resignations were due to an honest misunderstanding. General Gough and others were erroneously given the impression that it was intended to move troops against Ulster immediately. The officers who resigned accepted Sir Arthur Paget' s assurance that their duties would be confined strictly to police duty in the event of the regiments moving north. REMOVAL OF ARMS. The authorities have removed large quantities of arms and. ammunition from Armagh to Enniskillen. .Sir Arthur Paget moved .1200 troops to various points as a precaution against possible raids on/ stores. Mr Asquith states that the movement of troops is now completed. KING AND PREMIER. Mr Asquith had an hour's interview with the King yesterday. General French was present. THE STOCK EXCHANGE IMPROVES. Despite the movement of troops, members of the Stock Exchange took a more hopeful view of the Ulster question, anticipating a peaceful settlement. The tone of the market improved. KEEPING CALM. Ulster continues calm. OFFICERS DENOUNCED. Government newspapers denounce the resignations as an attempt by the aristocratic military caste to destroy the Parliament, Act. The papers declare that the time is opportune to revise the system of recruiting officers. GOOD SUGGESTION. Mr Wasou, M.P. (an ex-New Zealander), in a letter to a newspaper, suggests that if sufficient members of the House of Commons of all parties support the self-ex-clusion of the counties u.ntil the Federal system has been established, probably the Ministerial and Unionist leaders will accept. HANDSOME DONATION. Mr Marcus Samuel offered £10,000 towards a fund to relieve the familties of officers resigning from conscientious motives. The offer is conditional on the Unionist leaders announcing their intention to restore the commissions. PROMINENT OFFICER RESIGNS. \ The Daily Mail states that Gen- ] eral Gough's brother, who was , Chief of Staff at Aldershot, has resigned. OUT OF HARM'S WAY. The Daily Mail states that the ( 4th Inniskillings, of which a large j number signed the Covenant, have { been ordered to England. » "HOME RULE IS WON!" 1 Seventy-five thousand people c

held a procession in Liverpool yesterday iv celebration of St. Patrick's Day. Mr T. O'Connor declared that Home Rule had been won. NATIONALISTS TRAIN. The Liverpool Daily Post states that 3000 Irish Nationalists in Liverpool secretly trained and prepared to join their comrades in Ulster in the event of trouble. Liverpool's Ulster Unionist force is 1500. RESOLUTIONS BY SINN FEIN CONVENTION. The Sinn Fein Convention, at Dublin, resolved to resist any temporary or' permanent partition of Ireland. Alderman Kelly remarked that the Home Rule Bill was not worth shedding a drop of blood for. It would be no satisfaction to them to have their northern countrymen shot down by British guns. CHURCH BURNING. An attempt was made to burn a Protestant Church at Cavan. The pulpit was burnt and books and surplices were thrown into the street. LORD GREY'S VIEWS. Auckland, March 23. Lord Grey, asked his opinion concerning the latest .disquieting news regarding Irish Home Rule, said :" It looks like the ship of State going full steam ahead on to an iceberg.- I cannot believe that the people of. England will ever allow this Bill to receive the Royal assent without such a demonstration as will make a general election necessary before it is aliowed to become law." COVENANTERS ALERTi. (Received March 24, 8 a.m.) London, March 23. - The Times, in a leader, says to-day the Ulster covenanters stand on the alert, calmly ready to fulfil their- oath of resistance, while the army, for the moment) is paralysed. Never was a delicate issue so stupidly bungled or mishandled. MORE CONFERENCES. (Received March 24, 9.3 oa.m.) Sir Arthur Paget conferred with the Hon. Colonel Seely, -Minister of War, prior to a lengthy conference with the Cabinet Council. Col. Seely then proceeded to Buckingham Palace . Mr Bonar Law, Leader of the Opposition, read a letter wherein Sir Arthur Paget stated that active operations would begin against Ulster, and he expected the country to be in a blaze by Saturday. Great excitement ensued. Premier Asquith, in reply to a question, said he was unable at present to say when the second reading of the Home Rule Bill would be taken. As to the movement of trooj)s in Ireland, there had been no instructions, beyond those of assisting the civil power. Officers had misinterpreted these into the wider sense. He had now rectified the mistake, and the movement of troops had ceased. NO RACES FOR THE KING. (Received March 24, 9.35 a.m.) London, March 23. The King has cancelled his visit to the Grand National racemeeting. He gave an audience to Sir Arthur Paget. DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE. The House of Commons was -£rxL\xdftcL Premier. Asguit-li and Mr Lloyd George were cheered," and Oppositionists raised cries of " Limehouse" , Mr Asquith, in reply to a question by Mr Bonar Law, promised further facilities for the discussion of the Ulster situation if, after Col. Seeley's statement, Mr Bonar Law thought it necessary. Col. Seeley stated that some officers had informed Sir Arthur Paget that they would not serve in certain eventualities. This arose through a misunderstanding, and those officers had now been ordered to protect Government arms and ammunition . PREMIER MOVES ADJOURNMENT. Mr Bonar Law asked for a further discussion, but Mr moved the adjournment of the House. ' Mr Bonar Law said it was the most amazing instance of a Government paltering with the House of Commons. The danger of the army being destroyed before their eyes came on the Government like , a bolt from the blue. He had received proof that other officers besides those in cavalry regiments had tendered their resignations. He read a letter stating that those officers not fighting against Ulster would be dismissed. The Government'a moving of troops was foolish, as no new situation had arisen. He also read a letter in which Sir Arthur Paget stated thafc active operations were to be begun against Ulster, and that he expected the country to be ablaze by Saturday, that he was in close communication with the War Office, and had received instructions thence. Mr Bonar Law said it was difficult for Premier Asquith to convince the House that with or without his knowledge some of his colleagues had made a movement of troops as part of a concerted plan to provoke or intimidate Ulster. OFFICERS GIVEN WARNING. (Received March 24, 11.1 oa.m.) London, March 23. Premier Asquith, speaking i<h the House of Commons, said that in December officers commanding were informed they might be called, on to assist the civil power and that officers domiciled in the area might be excused. The movement of troops had now concluded. Sir Arthur Paget emphatically denied saying this was the first step in the operations to conquer Ulster. He never received instructions from the War Office to justify such a statement. It was an undoubted fact that BrigadierGeneral Gough and others had misinterpreted the instructions. The Army Council was now satisfied there was a misunderstanding, and bhe officers were also satisfied. A CORRECTION. The letter Mr Bonar Law read in the House was not written by Sir Arthur Paget, but was one containing a statement Sir Arthur was reported to have made to the offi:ers at Curragh Camp. MR. BALFOUR'S COMMENT. Mr Balfour said that undoubtsdly the Government thought the lircumstances exceptional and nade exceptional provisions, and hen encountered unexpected oplosition on the part of the officers. ?he Government had forced a risis of infinite danger to the J

community and the army. Brig.General Gough had resigned be« cause he would not fight Ulster, and had now been reinstated, though he still would not fight against Ulster. ADJOURNMENT NEGATIVED (Received Mar. 24, 11.25 a.m.) It is authoritatively stated that a number of officers in the Belfast command have resigned. Sir Philip Sassoon denies the offer of a vessel, as cabled. The Premier's motion for the adjournment of the House of Commons was negatived a division. IN THE LORDS. In the House of Lords, Lord Morley was pressed to publish the Army Council's instructions to Sir Arthur Paget. He promised an announcement on the subject to f morrow.