KITCHENER AND CARSON.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 9, 12 January 1915, Page 2

KITCHENER AND CARSON.

CARSON'S “TRUMP CARD." By request we publish the following from the Australian Worker: — An interesting item of news which, strange to say, did not find a place amongst the war cables published in the great Australian dailies, and which explains why Ireland has been given a wide berth by Anti-Home Ruler Baft, Carson, since the outbreak of hostilities in Europe. following on his appointment to the Army Council, Kitchener, as Director of Martial Law, requested that certain prominent public men, Carson amongst them, should be called before the Council, with a view to inducing them to follow a certain line of action. Of those invited to attend before the Council on a specified day Carson was the only one who had the temerity to ignore the invitation, with the consequence that when he arrived at his office the following morning he found an armed guard at the door waiting to conduct him before Great Britain’s War Lord. The business attitude of his compulsory escort induced Carson to promptly reconsider his determinI ation not to attend before the Army Council, and in a few minutes he was ushered into the presence of Kitchener and the other members of the Council. “Kitchener, who is a man of few words, brusquely informed Carson that the Council had arrived at the conclusion that it would be in the best interests of the Empire if he (Carson) would refrain from visiting Ireland during the continuance of the war in Europe, and invited him to give the Council an undertaking to that effect. Carson treated as preposterous the idea that lie. Sir Edward Carson, should be forbidden to visit Ireland, and told Kitchener that, Army Council or no Army Council, it* was, his intention to visit Ireland during the following week, in order to receive the freedom of the city of, Belfast, which the grateful burghers had deieded to confer on him. Kitchener reminded him that lie, Kitchener, was sole director of martial law in Great Britain, and asked Carson if he was aware of the penalty he would incur if he attempted, to visit Ireland in defiance of the Army Council’s order, Carson inquix-od the nature of the penalty, and , was told that if he attempted to visit Ireland, lie would bo instantly shot. Thou Carson played his trump card. Laughing satirically, he told Kitchener that if he soai’ched the Army, he would find a squad that would <ffioot him, Carson. But the laugh died away in his throat as Kitchener rose, and towering over him, said in even tones; “Then if I cannot got a rifle squad to shoot you, move one foot towards Ireland, and, by God, I’ll shoot you myself.” Carson has not yet received the freedom of the City of Belfast, nor has he made any attemptiio visit 'lreland since his memorable interview with Kitchener.”