ULSTERMEN DRILLING.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14017, 25 June 1913, Page 8

ULSTERMEN DRILLING.

INTERESTING SCENE AT OMACH. , Tie- Times correspondent- who is making i itesiigatieas into the attitude of Ulster Protestants towards Homo Hide al>d their preparation to resist it. skeU lies .ui interesting scene die witnessed in the van! of the Club, near Umogh. Tii • club is situated in the heart of a rather lonely but rich district, occupied, 1 fancy, chiefly by .strong fanners; and we drove to it across many miles of a road which was shaded by high trees. 1 liming at last into a by-way of tiic count reside ;ve saw before us a modern house on the brow of a little hill, the owner of which supplies the members of the dub with their weekly meetingplaiv. Kim- stables and coach-houses and a large field on the other side ol the lane- the owner is a model fa finer ami an old resident of Mid Tyrone—were at the disjiosal of the drill-master. We pulltil up at the gate, dismounted, and exchanged a few worths with the earlier arrivals. Darkness had fallen. The men were for the most part impressive tyjies. and Mfiinil to be drawn from a sturdy labouring stock. I was introduced to the president of the flub, a young farmer of great stature and strength. He showed me one of tin* air-gnns with which the members practice; it was no toy. He asked me what people in London were saying of Ulster. Hut these folk, who had walked for miles across the fields after a hard day’s work and were now gradually as.seinh’ing in the drill yard, seemed, as a rule, to Ik l silent persons, or not given tv conversing with strangers. About 38 men finally fell in for drill, a smaller muster than 'usual, for the farms are now busy; hut the attendance at the Club lias been steady and ’ excellent all through the winter. The older men and younger boys stood aside while the roll was lieing called. They are to Ik - trained for tile reserve, and for cotnniisKarint and ambulance work. The drillmaster then put, for ray benefit. a few questions to the volunteers. “What this gentleman wants to know," hip cried, "is, shortly,-whether, jvo are. in carnesi or only play-afcting.” “Ask them,” I said, “if they would like a Pjjrlinment of their own in Belfast.” .He ’ did so. hut without much reknit. “You | must reniemlier.” ho explained apologetically. “that von are in the habit of talking to intelligent people in London.” "Indeed*! am not." I said quickly “and where would the Umpire lie without the brains of Ulster?” The situation had become decidedly nncom- ; fortable, hut the drill-master, who obviously did not want a Parliament in j Ulster, put the question in another form anil obtained the required answer. They were very well content with things as they were: but if Home Rule must eome. tiiev would prefer a separate Parliament to Irish government. The work of the evening then proceeded, and flic iiionthnrs of the Clnti did credit to their instructor. It was too dark a night for the field to he used, but •' tin extended movement of a difficult kifld was carried out along the lane-way. • t asked if the police ever came by, and was told that Sometimes they peeped over the hedge but had never entered the oremises or interfered with the members in any way.