The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-22
Crisis Is Without Par
allel in History of
British Army.
ENTRANCE OF KING
AS PEACEM A KER
Government Embarrassed by Dis
affection, but Ultimatum Is Not
Issued-No Breach of Peace
in Ireland - Mobilization
Details Perfected at War
Council In Belfast.

London. March 21.-The governmcnts
military precautions TO preserve order
In Ulster have precipitated a crisis
without parallel in the history of the
British army. Rather than bs placed
in position where they might be
CALLED upon to act against the Ulster
eovcnanters. numbers OF officers havo
resigned their commissions.
While tho War Office refuses to say
how many have resigned. popular be-
lief is that the number Of withdrawals
has crippled the whole military organ
ization In Ireland and prevented car
rying out the orders for moving sew
cral large bodies of troops.
The Marquis OF Londonderry. an u
st>r leader. tonight said that nothing
OF he sort had occurred In the Brit
ish army since the days OF the A'nefi-
can Revolution.
Public curiosity is NJ fever heat over
the question Of how the government Is
TO deal with tho designations The
Liberal sentiment Ia that the oihcers
should be court-mart!aled. Many Con
scrvatives argue that the situation
amounts 10 civil war. and that the OIL
GERS should have liberty TO choose
which faction they should ally them
selves with.
king as P~ncemnkcr.
Tho entrance Of King George or the
event or the dag. The King held long
conferences with tho Prime Minister,
Mr. Asqulth. the Secretary OF state
tor War. Colonel Seely. and seNcrai
higher officers. lie afterwards sum
moued Field Marshal Lord Roberts,
who has been criticized by Liberals Tor
uttcranccs construed as encouragement
To tile rcbellious officers
: From tin. palace the veteran h"id
marshal drove directly TO the War OF
fce, where lie had long talk with 'hr
Secretary of War. The army council
held Ions sitting a. the War Office.
generals and lesser officials of I'll"
stan coming and going throughout the
day.
continued in IreliGHd. The centre of in
tcresl has shifted TO Curragh. twenty
FIVE miles from Dublin. wuere the Third
Cavalry Brigade. unucr Colonel ROT.
IS stationed. General Sir Arthur iaSet.
commanding the forces In Ireland,
spent the day in camp. lie held Il CON
ference with nifty officers Of the Cur
ragh. Dublin. Kildare and Ncwbridge
gnrrisons. 1t was said that orders had
arrived for the dispatch OF the third
brigade to Ulster. but that these could
not be carried into execution because
nearly all the officers had resigned. or
dcrs for the dispatch of the Sixteenth
Lanccrs. failed or execution by rea-
son Of the wholesale designations.
Information HcIuSSu.
According TO some reports, the mill
tary mon have unanimously refused
Information. but u Dublin dispatch says
that the designations from CurraRh
forces number forty Other advices
place the number at 100.
The government Is embarrassed By
the disaffection which even exists
among the officers who continue on
duty. for the army is oicered from the
aristocratic families and the great ma
Jority of the aristocratic class syInpa-
thize with the covenanters. Many ru-
Inors were aiioat throughout the day.
Among those published and denied
were reports that the government had
issued ultimatum to the officers.
giving them twelve hours to decide
whether to obey orders. and that two
companies OF the Dorsetshirc Regiment
in Belfast had thrown down their arms.
A Dublin message to the London
Press Association says the officers re-
fused to obey orders. and that many
of those who have undertaken to go
to Ulster have done on condition
that they are not TO carry arms against
the unionists.
Throughout the two days crisis Ire
land has not witnessed breach OF
peace anywhere. II sunday passes
without rioting. officials will draw
sigh of relief. The Nntionalists act
ing on John Redmonds advice. have
3 abandoned their parade in London
derry, which would have been almost
certain to result In clashes with
Orangemen.
TO Prevent Outbursts.
To prevent outhursts. the police in
Ireland have been told not to take any
steps to enforce The gun license act
in case members OF the Ulster Nolun-
.ccrs'' are seen carrying rifles, In camp
or elsewhere. The act empowers The
authorities to seize all unlicensed fire.
arms.
1t was thought in many quarters to-
day that if the government would con-
sent 10 give the counties OF Ulster
perpetual local option on the question
of home rule, instead Of compelling
them TO corac under the Dublin parli;,-
incnt ut the end Of six years, a way
out OF the present difficulty would be
opened. The Nationalists always have
commended that the Ulstcrmen would be
glad to join the home rule scheme
cnce il had been demonstrated that
their fears of unfair treatment were
unfounded
Liberalism will not finch one inch
before the arrogant and insolent plague
Of Toryism" was the message CON
veyed day by Chancellor Lloyd
George to n meeting of Liberals at
Huddcrsfield. The chancellor was
talking about Ulster and tho attitude
of the Unionists. He said:
Tho country is confronted with tho
gravest Issue in the history Of demo-
cratic government since the days of
the Stuarts. Representative govern.
ment In this land IT. at stake. ] am
hero, on behalf OF the government, to
say we mean to confront this defiance
of popular liberties with resoluto and
(0ontinued on SIytb porol