PASSING OF HOME BULE BILL

Press, Volume L, Issue 14977, 26 May 1914, Page 7

PASSING OF HOME BULE BILL

TREMENDOUS TENSION IN

ULSTER.

RIVAL FORCES PREPARED FOR

HOSTILITIES

(Bγ Cable—Press Association.— Copyright.) LONDON. May 24. Tremendous tension exists in Ulster.

It is feareJ that the .Nationalist and Ulster volunteer armies will come into collision on Tuesday evening when the Homo Rule Bill is passed in the liouse of Commons. Both armies are feverishly preparing, and aro fully supplied with arms and ammunition. Fifty motor-oars distributed rifles last evening from County l>own to various centres in Fermanagh. Two hundred Covenanters wero out ail night guarding certain houses. Police, on bicycles, unsuccessfully attempted to trace tho motor-cars distributing tho rifles. The numbers of the cars were changed, the numbers of Nationalist*' cars being substituted in so mo cases. Every commander of a Covenanter regiment has received an order reading as follows:— 'in view of • the possibility oi" Nationalist rowdyism on tho passing of the Home Rule Hill, commanders aro authorised to take whatever steps they deem advisable to maintain pence, and to prevent disloyal processions, tho burning of bonfires or displays taltinp; place u> Unionist territory throughout their command." The "Ukiermnn," the official organ of tho Covenanters, contains an appeal, signed by tho officials of various fcociotio.s in the North of Ireland, to their fellow trades unionists in Great Britain to assist them in tho crisis, assuring them that the democracy of Ulster is tho soul and tho body of the Ulster movement. •".Hcyholds's Newspaper" asserts, on good authority, that an increasing number of members of tho Cabinet favour a dissolution. The Dublin correspondent of tho "Observer" states that the Hibernian Society has officially recognised tho Nationalist volunteer movement, which, is daily growing in strength.

Mr Devlin, who at first regarded it as a menace to tho Nationalist machine, lias now decided to identify tho luachino with tho volunteer movemont.