IN ULSTER.

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2319, 25 March 1914, Page 2

IN ULSTER.

THE IRISH CMSIS. Lord Bercsford Flies the Duty Flag. Leaders Speak Up in Commons. The Voice of Labour. Class Bias aud Political Prejudice. The King and General Gough. T. P. O'Connor, Prophet An Interesting Forecast. Canadians for Ulster Leave in May. The Man of the Hour. The Terror of tlie Tories. BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH COPYRIGHT. PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. LORD BERESFORD'S PREDICTION. London, March 23. Lord Charles Beresford, in a letter, says that so long as officers and men are under the pennant, they must obey orders. He believes that many of the best will resign, which will involve stoppage of pay and pension. When the reaction comes, it is certain that the country will restore them, their positions. DEBATE IN THE HOUSE. Mr Bonar Law read a letter from an officer who was present at the conference. He said Sir Arthur Paget stated that active operations were about to commence against Ulster and <be expectedf [ the country would be ablaze by Saturday. He was assured that the officers hiad the "War Office's instructions. Mr Bonar Law said it was impossible that i General Gough's dismissal had been due to a misconception. The country had a right to know the terms of the reinstatement. He asked the Premier to say openly that he had been re-instated on the distinct understanding that he would not

be asked to use troops to enforce Home Rule. Officers who refused on conscientious grounds should be permitted to resign without forfeiting their pensions. The situation had arisen that the Government was attempting to coerce part of the population without the authority of the electors. Mr Asquith was to be commended for defining the Army's duty that it must protect military property and render assistance il civil power is inadequate to deal with riot and disorder. When Mr Asquith was replying he might tell them whether officers domiciled in Ulster might resign. He asked if similar regulations applied to strikes.

- MR. ASQUITH EXPLAINS. 1 Mr Asquith: Yes;iit is a good 1 rule where a military force is.call- ]' ed to assist the civil authorities to > avoid employing men having dol mestic ties in the locality. When - Sir Arthur Paget received the War " Office's instructions he assembled the divisional generals and brigadiers an dintimated to them that the movement might cause'excitement. Orders might be varied by consequential supplementary movement. General Gough (who was a most distinguished cavalry leader ' and a man of very great and welldeserved reputation), ' and some officers interpreted Sir Arthur Paget's observations in the sense of the letter which Mr Bonar Law read. The officers were now satisfied that there had been a misunderstanding, and they had returned, expressing full willingness to discharge their duties. The Premier concluded by stating that it was not the business of the Army or Navy to discriminate between the relative validity of different parts of law. If Mr Bonar Law's doctrine was recognised, the whole fabric whereon the law was built would disappear. If half a million men struck for shorter hours and better wages and brought societ near starvation, would the officers v disobey their orders because they believed the men's cause was just % I, protest against the notion tha. the Army and Navy must .ultimately determine the country' policy. ,l MR. BALFOUR SPEAKS. Mr Balfour said it was absurd for the Premier to use conciliatory language while Mr Churchill was blowing a call to arms in Yorkshire. While the Premier was calling out the fire engine to put out the conflagration, he had sent two colleagues to cut the mains and destroy the water-supply. Never before had it been thought necessary,when supporting a magistrate or looking after small-arms, to lay down conditions that persons who had relations with dealers in small-arms might disapiiear and later come back* without loss of military reputation. The thing was manifestly foolish. General Gough had been reinstated, though he still said that he would not fight against Ulster. There were \ times in history when the ordinary maxims of government and society must be laid aside. There had been such a crisis in our civil wars, the contest with the American colonies, and the time of tho disruptions in North and South. Such crises were due to circumstances beyond the power of man. ' Iv this case it was due to the insane folly of the Government's re- 1 i'usal to face the facts. LABOUR'S INTERPRETATION Mr Ramsay Mac Donald, Leader i of the Labour Party, said that if i General Gough was not prepared j to do his dttty he ought to be dis- ( missed. Syndicalists had appar- j ently succeeded in inoculating the 1 Tories with their poisonous yiews. t

Hundreds of thousands of trado J unionists would say army officers I were prepared to shoot strikers because they did not sympathise with, them, but they did not do their duty in Ulster because of class bias and political prejudice. FROM THE LORDS. Lord Morley, in the House of Lords, repeated the Ministerial statement given in the House of Commons. He added that the King had approved of General Gough and the other officers being ordered to rejoin the regiments. OFFICERS NOT TO SUFFER. Newspapers state that tho War Office verbally assured General Gough yesterday that the cavalry would be required only to assist in preserving law and. order in Ulster. He asked for a written assurance, which was. granted. General Gough then agreed to resume and telegraphed to the regiment that all the officers would be reinstated without loss of prestige. The Daily Mail adds that General Gough telegraphed to the officers at Curragh on Sunday: "After our first visit to the War Office we found strong support on this side. We believe we shall come through all right if we stand firm.' GOVERNMENT CHARGED WITH WEAKNESS. | _The Chronicle says: "It is use less for the Government to tell us that the officers did not strike. We all know they did. The action raises the question, Are army officers to dictate to Parliament what Bill shall not pass ? The evil will grow with tolerance. Not a few good judges think that if their places could be filled by other officers who would treat the profession more seriously it- would be a blessing in disguise." The Chronicle's lobby correspondent says that many Liberals disliked even the appearance of surrender to military influences. If the Government had adopted an iron hand and sent the resigning officers about their business it would have been much more agreeable to most of the supporters. The situation in Ireland has been badly handled. Colonel Seely has not covered himself with glory. A GERMAN VIEW. Berlin, Marcli 24. Newspapers attribute the Irish trouble to the evils of democracy, emphasising the dangers of the voluntary military system. IMPERIAL OFFICERS IN NEW ZEALAND-RESIGN. Christchurch, Marcli 24. It was stated on good authority to-night that several Imperial officers connected with the New Zea r land Defence Department are handing in 'their resignations as officers in the British army on account of the troubles in Ulster. One officer stated to a reporter tUftfc he was doing exactly the same as he would if he were at Home, and he could not see any reason for acting differently owing to the fact of his being out here. The resignations have nothing to do with the New Zealand appointments. T. P. O'CONNOR PROPHESIES London Times—Sydney Sun Services.

(Received Mar. _:5, 8 a.m.) London, March 24. Mr T. P. O'Connor, in a special article in Reynold's Newspaper, prophesies that there will be no developments in Ireland until the Bill reached the House of Lords, where some Carsonite proposals will be embodied. The House of Commons will "reject them, and send the Bill back to the House of Lords,where they will be accepted, and the Home Rule struggle will end.

CANADIAN CONTINGENTS. Ottawa, March 24. The first contingent of Canadian volunteers for Ulster will leave in May. . Several Canadian and South African papers urge a referendum on Home Rule. PEB PKKSS ASSOCIATION. SETTLEMENT PROPOSALS. (Received Mar. 25, 8.4 a.m.) The idea of a federal or devolution settlement finds increasing support in several newspapers. Eight Liberals, writing to the Westminster Gazette, say the Goverment's Ulster offer, though statesmanlike and the best under the circumstances, suffers from an admitted defect—want of finality. The writers warmly advocate the Westminster Gazette's suggestion as . the best means of securing . a definite settlement. The whole ' constitutional question could be. dealt with duriug Ulster's six-year period of exemption. THE MAN OF THE HOUR. Unionist papers declare Sir Arthur Paget is a scapegoat, and hint at the possibility of his resignation. They acclaim General Gough as the man of the hour, and .that the band of officers who resigned saved the country from disaster. A TORY PLOT. Liberal papers declare the Tories attended to split the army, and failed. They declare that the limit of patience has been, reached, and ask the Premier to consider the exclusion of Ulster, pending a general scheme of devolution. To this Premier * Asquith replied that he was anxious to give his fullest consideration to any proposal likely to afford a common ground for agreement. GENERAL GOUGH RETURNS. London, March 24. (Received Mar. 25, 9.20 a.m.) Sir Arthur Paget and BrigadierGeneral Gough have returned to Ireland. THE RECALL. The opinion was generally expressed in the lobby, after Premier Asquith's speech, that it is now impossible for the Government to call on the army to coerce Ulster. Many Liberals and Nationalists are disappointed that the Government did not accept the officers' j resignations. j

! THE WASON SUGGESTION. The Moderate Liberals are debating Mr Cat heart Wason's suggestion, that if a sufficient number of members of all parties support the self-exclusion of the northern counties until a federal system has been established, probably both Ministerial and Unionist leaders would accept the proposal. THE IMPORT OF IT. Tho Daily News says the public want to know the conditions under which General Gough returned. Are they conditions of unqualified or optional obedience ? If the Army is a Tory institution, the Liberals will break it as they broke the House of Lords,.

AUSTRALIAN ORANGEMEN READY. (Received 9.45 a.m.) Sydney, March 25. At' a meeting of th© Loyal Orange Institution it was decided to form a contingent of sympathisers with Ulster, to proceed to Ireland, if necessary, to help defend Ulster. Large numbers of offers of services were received. The executive also started a fund,.. to supplement Mr Marcus Samuel's donation, for assisting resigning officers.

The hope was expressed that the King, as the supreme head of Protestant Britain, would exercise his right of veto and make a general election imperative -before the Bill received assent. STOCKS BUOYANT. • (Received March 25, 11.50 a.m.) London, March 24. The Stock Exchange is buoy J . ant. There lias been an all round advance on account of the more hopeful outlook in Ulster. MORE ABOUT THE RESIGNATIONS. (Received March 25, 11.55 a.m.) London, March 24. ; Colonel Seely has promised to publish all the material documents relating to General Gough's resignation and reinstatement. Premier Asquith added that the documents include the written instructions to General Paget. The whole question, the Premier said, could be discussed on the second reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill to-morrow. Capetown, March 24. Tom Mann, interviewed here, said he was.not here to kick up a shindy, and would do nothing to bring himself within the law.