Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-15
Troops Drilled by Both Sides in Preparation for
Home Rule Fight.
Special Gable to The American.

Special Gable to The American.
LONDON, March a. Tuesday will
be the anniversary of the legendary
birthday of st. Patrick. Clashes be-
tween the Catholic Irishmen and the
Protestants of Ulster Province are eX-
pected. but these are nothing unusual
for the saints day or 'BOyne Water
Day. The real question is: VIII this
St. Patrick's Day mark the passing
Of the long years Of peace in Ireland
Will Erin be deluged with blood, as
she has been so many times before IN
her long history. ere st. Patrick's Day
comes round in 1915?
The coming twelvemonth is to de-
eide the question of home rule in
Ireland
on the day when the patron saint
of the Emerald Isle is honored her
leaders will look to a future which
is most dark and menacing. Ireland
is house divided against itself.
Despite the efforts at compromise
made in the las, two weeks, the
avoidance of bioodshed is probematt-
cal.
Three Struggles Involved.
There are really three struggles in
century Ireland has fought for the
ending of British domination. At the
same time Ulster Province is prom
Using to appeal to arms before it will
allow itself to be governed by the
Catholic provinces. Thirdly, the
Catholics in Ulster. who are not few
in number. will not calmly submit TO
the rule of the Protestant FISHERMEN.
Cardinal Logue lived in Ulster and
so does Joseph Devlin, who may sue
coed John Redmond as leader of the
Irish Nationalists. In Belfast itself,
one of the four divisions is National
list and Catholic
The third problem often is lost to
sight. But it is the real reason which
prevents the acceptance of the vari-
Gus propositions TO separate Ulster
from the rest of Ireland to give the
Catholic provinces home rule and let
Ulster stay closely connected politi-
caliy with the rest of Great Britain.
That conditions have come to a
critical pass, no one Will deny. NO
one has denied it since December D,
when King George V invoked the Gus
toms consolidation act of 1879 TO tor-
bid the importation Of arms ana am
muuition into Ireland.
volunteers drilling in the island. The
Nationalist army is the smaller and
the more formless because 1t was
started the more recently. It's
strength is very hazy photographs
Of the corps being inspected are not
impressive.
But the Ulster army, long derided,
has strength not so probIematicaI
az it's opponents. on the evening or
the dav when King George officially
recognized the gravity of the situa-
ton by the arms order, Sir Edward
Carson. the leader of Ulster said in
a sneach at Nottingham, England,
that the Ulster volunteers had ag-
greRated $4,000 a year before and now
numbered 10000. These are the men
actually enrolled and serving. Ii II
came TO an actual clash il is safe
IN saw. the Ulster leader could count
on more than twice this number.
Two hundred thousand volunteers
are not 10 be dismissed with a word
They could cause much trouble even
for a detachment of the British army
and should the volunteers of the
south of ireland be sent against them,
the conflict would be prolonged and
sangunary.
Ulster Sways Business.
II is TO be remember that the
FISHERMEN have in their number most
of the principal business men of Ire
land. Belfast is the city ~ wealth
The place of mills and shipyards. The
resources Of Ireland would be at the
disposal of the minority in the North,
not the majority Of the other PROV
lnces Many keen observers believe
this is the principal issue underlN-
ing the fight against home rule. They
minimize the church issue and bring
out the fears of'the Belfast merchants
that a Dublin Parliament would con
rive to make Belfast pay an the
taxes and have Dublin and CORK take
AN The offices lucrative contracts and
various patronage.