The Washington times., 1914-02-18
CALLS ULSTER ARMY
ADVERTISED BLUFF"
y-Sergeant of Royal Troops
Enlisted With UnioniSts and
Found Wooden Guns.

LONDON. Fen. 1S-Here's another
ie to the story of listers prepara-
rs for civil war For weeks, the
Ionist press has been filled with
wing accounts of the military ac-
tiles of the anti-home rulers in the
til of ireland. According to the lead
Sir Edward Carson and his asso-
ties have enlisted close to 1oa,0O0 stall
1T Orangemen, sworn 10 die in the
t ditch, if necessary, in defense of
lsters rights and the preservation
the union.' Camps of instruction
we been organized throughout the
nyinCe. The Ulster volunteer force
IS become a well-drilled body of real
Idiers, quite able 10 cope with an
uaI number of the regular British
my, and certainly superior TO the ter
torials Unilitia) in discipline and equip
1ent Before the government stopped
le importatt- of arms and amnunl-
on into ireland, the volunteers had
sen supplied with enough high-ciass'
u-to-date rifles to go around ana
Efficient number of cartridges easily
o win the first series of battles-should
rgland ever be so foolish as TO at
ampt TO enforce the authority of
Iblin parliament.
One morning, Alexander G. Webster,
x-serSeant of the royal artillery, an
dent unioHist, CHANGED to see by the
pers that recruits were wanted for
e British League for the support
- Ulster and the Union" The fires OF
.tIiotism that had been smoulder1ns
his bosom ever since he quit the
my quickly burst into flame. lie
ught out the London offices of the
ague, where he signed the following:
Il, the undersigned. hereby enroll ply-
If as a volunteer in the force now De-
:. raised to assist Ulster IN the struS-
a she is making to maintain the union
tween Great Britain and Ireland; anu,
the event of the home rule bill being
sscd into Law without the sanction
the people Of the United Kingdom
ing expressed at a general elecuon'
solemnly swear TO hold mySeIr III
nadtness to act anywhere and IN any
anner that may serve to tins ena.
lrther, / promise to stand by TINS
-reement until such time as / notify
Y resignation in writing to my su-
-ior officer. God save the King.
According TO officials of the league,
me 1000 other Englishmen had ai-
ady subscribed to this declarauon
Il Webster was too enthusiastic to be
tisfied with merely holding himself in
radiness'' He asked Tor immediate
rvice as a drill-master on the scene.
I'd his offer was eagerly accepted. in
IA king this offer he explained later. Il
ought as Unionist and an eN-soldier |
was onlg doing my duty to MY coun- |
y and my King.
Throwing up a gooc-paying job with |
10 New Zealand Shipping Company |
ebster arranged al once to go II the |
seat OF war" Proceeding to Belfast, |
e reported at the headquarters of the |
lister Volunteer Force in the Old Town !
iall; He was admitted forthwith to
he Inner circle and claims that he |
ad ample opportunities thereafter of |
Idging accurately listers alleged pre- |
redness for hostilities.
4 was assigned to the detachment: at |
angor." said the eX-sergeant. in re-
turn TO London. when | arrived, the
,.n-about fifty of them-were on pa
De. with their guns-wooden ones.
me of these extraordinary weapons
4 wooden stocks. with useless iron
rrels, and tin trigger guards; others
re OF wood entirely-stock, barrel.
trigger guard. The men were of
sorts and conditions, and they were
out as well-drilled as the average
0ooIbOy. Certainly. any company of
ritiSh Boy Scouts would have put them
shame. Of extended order or COM
NY formal on they had not the slight
knowledge.
q Further Investigation right on the
-ide convinced me that, as a fighting
re. the Ulster army is n Joke It is
0ither drilled nor armed If it De true
at there are a lot Of modern guns dis
ibuted throughout the province, they
ISt have been pretty effectively scat
red. The soldiers encountered
4NCn't seen them, and ] found no one
se that had laid eyes on them. | am
listed that the whole organization is
crely q well-advertised bluff. So I'm
rough"