Crisis Approaching

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 252, 23 March 1914, Page 5

Crisis Approaching

British Regiments Transferring to

Ireland

General Military Activity

u Officers Decline to Take the Field

By Cable—Press Association—Copyright

> T P ARRESTS OF ULSTER LEADED. iiu_. ~l >jl MILITARY PRECAUTIONS. SIR. E. CARSON AT LELFAST. l£ Cable—Press Association—Oopyriyiu London, March in. Mr. Asquith personally assured i! Unionist leaders that a warrant to >\ifeat the Ulster leaders had not tin jssued. ■'V .The Daily Telegraph's Parliamentary states that he is ceri.ih lists of subordinates' names ha v • ' ijegjj grepared. The correspondent add, that the military authorities, incluu'in. General French, had a long conferen;. ai the War Office. ' Tig guards at the Curragh Cam;; Newbridge barrack, and some of t-ii.; Dublin barracks have been doubled. ' Two warships have arrived in Dubln Bay. Eight hundred Ulster volunteers ;i. bilisea at Belfast- on Thursday ni.e!; and guarded the leaders' residences. Unionists and Orangemen in Lanr. shire sent Sir E. Carson many encouraging telegrams. Sir E. Carson received an enthusi;tic reception at Belfast. He was v< !- coined by a fusilade of revolvers. He ' proceeded to Carrigavan, escorted uv a bodyguard of 200 volunteers. A parade of the Nationalist volunteers hns been arranged at Londonderry for ounday. Two hundred men of the Cornw;il regiment have arrived at Newry. The Ulster volunteers are conferring At Craigavon. Sir Edward Carson, in a appeals to his followers to maintain calm and peaee. , All night long there was great activity at the Belfast headquarters. Stores and documents were being removed to fen unknown destination. Troops have arrived at Armagh. 'P* ' STRAINING FOR EFFECT. *% Ottawa, March 20. The Senate debated the attendance of Mr. Cochrane, Minister of Railways, a. Honie Ruh meeting in England a presentation was made to Sir Edward Carson. Senator Chiqivlle asked if this meant that Canada was against Home Rule. Canadians were loyal, and would be displeased if a Minister went to England and gave his countenance to those who proposed to fight against the King. Senator Loughecd replied that Mr. Cochrane's loyalty was above question. Senator Cloran declared that Mr. Cochrane had been guilty of treason. The Government ought to dissociato itself from such action. Senator Loiij-licnd retorted that Mr. Cochrane was as loyal as members of the Senate.

BALL CARTRIDGES ISSUED.

OMINOUS SIGNS. REINFORCEMENT OF ULSTER GARRISONS. STOCK EXCHANGE DEPRESSED. >■ r *. —"•*»■. I f .- Received 22. 5.5 p.m. London, March 21. I It is officially stated that the Arm;- , Council some time ago instructed Sir Arthur Paget to take the necessary steps to safeguard Government property, and to assist, if summoned, to keep law and order. It is pointed out that Ireland is a separate command, the War Office not directing the movements of the troops, although Sir Arthur Paget is keeping Whitehall acquainted with what is happening. The reinforcement of the Ulster gar- , risons is occurring in pursuance of orders given hy him. The Stock Exchange is depressed, owing to the crisis. 3lr. A- Birrcll (Tvish Secretary in 1907), speaking in London, declared that the military would never-be used except on behalf of the integrity of the King's dominions, assisting the civil power to maintain order, and securing to every minority, Catholic or Protestant, the protection to which it is entitled against the fury of religious bigotry or savagery, political or partisan.

SVAB OFFICE AND ADMIRALTY CONFERENCES. ATTITUDE OF THE NAVY. -'' Received 22,\5.5 p.m. T _■• London, March 21. rvfr. Asnuitb, Mr. Churchill, Colonel Seely and the War Office staff bad three S consultation till eleven o'clock at e a.en« y Admiralty) summoned Pnnce

The Government Undaunted and Firm

-i-uis of Baitenburg (First Sea Lord) u) an urgent conference at the Admiral U Office affecting the action of the Navy towards Ulster. . URITISIJ REGIMENT OFFICERS RESIGNING. : (.\ rtIER THAN FIGHT AGAINST ULSTER. Received 22, 5.5 p.m. .London, March 21. iegri from Curragh camp says ilit a War Office ultimatum has inti-

'.» !ed that ollicere not prepared to serve ;i!j i : !ut ULur must resign or be dis'ii .-.-ed. A lr.udrcd, chiefly cavalry office.*, have resigned.

At Dublin the officers of the sth Lan- < i is resigned aB a protest against the raiment being ordered north. .'•Ill EDWARD CARSON AS A PEACE PRESERVER. THE SITUATION CRITICAL. \Receivcd 22. 5.5 p.m. London, March 21. 'l'lie Times says that many modcrnt.l .'.iberals in the House of Commons, are uv'.'itly re'idy to agree to some variaimi of the rigid time limit, t at Belfast agree that tiNie is splendid self-restraint on the jKii-t of the people. Sir Edward Car■i.ii's efforts are directed to the pre(■•niiug of possible outbreaks among ill-li-viplined youths. The situation is critical, owing to the i-u-pense over the next mo\t.

Twenty-five thousand troops are availble in Ireland. General Sir Arthur i'aget is in command of the principal Moments involved in the resignations. The sth and ltith Lancers, and the 4tU

liu-sars, composing the third brigade, are under General Kearsley. All the reel;:., ny in Ulster are English, under Count (ileiclien.

Two torpedoers landed 150 soldiers atCarrickfergus Castle from Dublin.

The Press Association states that volunteers guarding Craigavon, armed with rifles and bayonets and ball cartridges, stood at the salute as the Dorsetshire Regiment passed. Many of the Dorsetshires returned the compliment. Mr. Redmond, in the interests of the Nationalist cause, insists on the abandonment of the Derry parade. 7

POSSIBLE DISARMAMENT RAIDS. VOLUNTEERS PREPARING AGAINST ATTACK. , Received 22, 5.5 p.m. London, March 21. Mr. Churchill visited Colonel Sec'y. The latter declares that appropriate measures will he taken to deal with officers resigning. Mr. Asquitli believes the Government has succeeded in limiting the area of the resignations. | The Morning Post declares that the Unionists must insist on the reinstatement of the officers without loss of seniority. Ten rounds of ammunition have been 'served to every officer at Curragli, where the l'Cth Uncers and 4th Hussars are aimed with carbines insetad of the usual lance and sword. Five officers of the 105 th Yorkshire Light Infantry embarked at Kingstown for the North.

The guards at Londonderry have been trebled, and ball cartridges served.

The. movement of the troops is regarded in the Home l.'niouist circles as foreshadowing an attempt to disarm the volunteers. It is slated that the police have planned a simultaneous raid on arms in various districts. The military is stationed at centres convenient for dealing with any resistance to the raids. On the other hand, the denuding of Belfast of troops and their eonueutration, with war material, at Holywood, is interpreted as the result of the opinion of the .minorities that it is easier to defend the stores there against possible volunteer raids Hun in crowded Belfast, where 27,000 volunteers arc enrolled. Many inhabitants of Knniskillen, waving Union Jacks, gave a rousing welcome to two huudrcd of, the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Regiment. Another draft has reached 1 Kewry, where troops have, not been sta tioned for eight years. I Sentrica at Ebrington barracks have been trebled, for the first time since the abortive Fenian rising in the 'sixties.

"GAMBLING IN HUMAN LIVES." "THE THUNDERER" ON THE SITUATION. Received 22, 5.5 p.m. London, March 21. The Times, in a leader headed "Gambling in human lives," states: "The debate on Ulster has brought armed conflict a few steps nearer. Mr. ABquith'a reply was inadequate to the point of childishness." WAR OFFICE PRECAUTIONS.

PARLEYS WITH RESIGNED OFFICERS.

Received 23, 12.20 a.m. London, March 22. General Sir Arthur Paget has arrived at Curragh. Negotiations are proceeding with the resigned officers. It is reported that Brigadier-General De la P. Gough is commanding the third cavalry brigade at Curragh.

Several officers at Aldershot have resigned. It is stated at Aldershot that the South-Western Railway Co. has been ordered to liave trains ready to move ten thousand men to Glasgow and other ports, whence they can be transported to Ireland. THE GOVERNMENT STANDS FIRM Received 23, 12.20 a.to. London, March 22. Messrs Lloyd George and John Burns and Sir John Simon (Attorney-General), in speeches delivered recently, emphasised the Government's determination to pass Home Rule, undeterred by taunts and threats.

DORSETSHIRE REGIMENT IN DISGRACE. Received 23, 12.20 a.m. London, March 22. The Pall Mall Gazette's Belfast correspondent telegraphs that when two companies of the Dorsetshire Regiment were paraded on Thursday and were notified that they were being transferred to near the volunteers' manoeuvring ground, they hurried with their rifles to the barracks square and saluted, ex. claiming, "We want no home rule here:" Later. The Dorsetshires are confined to barracks at Holywood, a seaport town and watering plate near Belfast. SOME IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS.

Received 23, 12.20 a.m. London, March 22. Lord Roberts visited Buckingham Palace and later the War Office. The King also gave an audience to Field-Marshal French (Chief of the Imperial General Staff) and Colonel Sceiy (Secretary for War). The Army Council met on Saturday. The Premier is in frequent consultation with Colonel Seely and Mr. Churchill.