Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-05-26


arising with surprising rapidity and
in West Belfast-the Nationalist dis
trict-drills are being carried out two
or three nights each week. Within
the last week new corps have been
established at Omegh (Tyrone), Kill
leevan (Monaghen), and Castleblae-
ney And this progress is made des-
pite the fact that the movement has
had no official sanction or encourage
ment from the Irish Parliamentary
party It is altogether the result of
remembering. Indeed, it has come as
surprise to the Unionists to find
that two can play at the game OF
volunteers and to note the readiness
with which southern home rulers
have joined this significant organize
ticn.
Doings in Derry.
A well known Nationalist law
yer in County Antrim, Mr.. Louis J.
Walsh of Ballycastle. had long let
ter in the leading Liberal paper in
England, the Manchester Guard
ian, only a day or two ago, in which
he says that the recent phenomenal
increase in National Volunteers in
Ulster is due to the governments in
action as shown on the Lorne occa-
sion, and since then; and he adds that
Nationalist, as far as he can see,
are only joining it for their own pro-
lection in case of trouble. Then he
proceeds to say:
Il am familiar with the greater
parts of Derry and Antrim, and all
over these counties regiments of Ma
tional Volunteers are springing up
and are being drilled by trained SOL
oiers. Derry City is full of National
ND1y in IL %
about 1000 men l am told there are
800 ex-soldiers-and they appear to
be pretty well armed. The rest of
the county is now rapidly falling into
line, and a similar state of things
prevails here in County Antrim. But
the dice are loaded against us in this
way. Nothing was done to prevent
the Ulster Volunteers arming until
the National Volunteers sprang into
being. Then the government issued
their arms proclamation. The pre-
cious proclamation is treated by the
authorities in Ulster as a dead letter
where the Carsonites are concerned;
whilst a Nationalist could hardly i'm
port a shovel shaft without having
the parcel held up by the customs
authorities. l slept in a little town in
County Derry the other night, and in
the early morning the inhabitants
were awakened by the commotion
created by number of motor lorries
and cars from which guns were dis
tributed under the very noses of the
police. In a word, under English law,
as administered in this country at
present, 1t appears to be illegal for
an ordinary individual to bring in a
pistol in a handbag; whilst NJ. P.'s
and D. IS and ]. P.'s can with per-
vi -.
rifles and ammunition in shiploads. I
desire to appeal through your col
umns to your readers to try to in
duce them to bring influence to bear
on your governmental has ceased to
be ours-to withdraw their arms proc
lamation. We Nationalist in Ulster
are quite well able to look after our
selves if the dice are not loaded
against us; and. since the govern
ment has refused to extend its pro-
lection to us, it is as little as we can
ask that it should at least not put
difficulties in the way of our protect
ing ourselves"
l shall let the letter speak for it
self without any comment of mine;
1t is very interesting and illuminating
as to the opinions held by very many
in country districts.
Ripples in Belfast.
In Belfast itself things are quiet
enough on the surface. A ripple of
trouble comes along now and then,
however. Just picture the scene de-
scribed in the following paragraph
occurring at what should be a quiet
and uneventful football match be-
tween two junior teams on a Satur-
day afternoon: THE replayed test
match between Springfield Amateurs
and Linfield Rangers, played on
Tuesday evening at GroSyenor Park,
was attended by disorderly scenes.
Toward the end of the game the
Springfield Amateurs scored the first
goal, and their supporters were ac-
cordingly jubilant, but the followers
of the Linfield Rangers responded
with the chorus of 'Dolly'S Brae
and several revolver shots were fired
Immediately the crowd separated
into two separate bodies, and q num-
Der of the Linfield Rangers followers
broke in upon the playing Enclosure.
They were, however, forced back
with the aid of the officials, and the
game was proceeded with resulting
in win for the Amateurs by two
goals to nil. So far as the general
body of spectators was concerned, the
chief concern of the opposing ele-
ments seemed to be to get away
from each other, but there were bel
ligerents, and one man who fired a
revolver was struck with a bottle
while stone-throwing took place out
side the ground. and one or two in
dividuals were hit. The officials did
everything possible to check the dis
turbance inside the ground, but in
the streets outside the chorus of
Dolly Brae' was again struck up
and revolver shots were fired. A
strong body of police was soon avail
able, and these forced the crowd
down the Grosvenor road toward
Great Victoria street, while the OPP
position dispersed in the opposite d.
rection, without any further encoun-
ter taking place"
Such Incidents of course, are chiefly
worth considera ton or notice only
from the point of view of the greater
trouble to which they might possibly
lead. Some of the most serious riots
in Belfast in the past have originated
in small occurrences of the sort.
The Twelfth of July"
From this period on until July 12--
the famous "Twelfth"-will have
passed, will be time in which there
will be constant need for caution on
DOIn SlOeS-dHQ CONSTANT pOSSlDlllLleS
of trouble arising. The home rule bill
will pass its third reading in the
House of Commons in less than a
fortnight on present reckoning, cele-
brations of the event will take place
in many districts AMI timorus folks
profess to see chances of trouble aris-
Ing from such festivities-let US hope
their fears will prove groundless.
In June the bill will go to the
House of Dards. That coronetted body,
It Is said, will give the measure
very short shrift and throw it out on
second reading. Then the Unionists
will have their turn to celebrate"