Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-03-21
Officers in Regular
Army Resign, Causing
Much Inconvenience

London, March 21.-The outstand-
ing feature of the news from Ireland
to-day was the disaffection among the
officers of the regular army under or
ders to proceed to Ulster with their
regiments.
The actual number of designations
among them was still unknown, but
that it was considerable was evident
from the earnest early morning con-
sultations of cabinet ministers regard
ing the bets means of counteracting
the movement.
The actual fact of this disaffection
is the more discomforting to the mill
tary authorities since the army is al
ready seriously short of commissioned
officers.
Threats of q crisis in the army if a
movement of regular troops was un-
dertaken against Ulster had long been
current and in some quarters it is be-
lieNed that the sudden marching of O
limited number of troops Vas ordered
so that the military authorities might
gather an idea as to how widespread
the threatened disaffection was.
Will Replace Officers
Immediately after Colonel Seely, the
Secretary of State for War, had been
in audience with King George at
Buckingham Palace this morning,
7
of the army council which took the
necessary steps to replace officers who
had resigned.
According to reports, however, the
number of vacancies is rapidly in
creasing, and it seems possible that
all the regular regiments which have
been serving in Ulster may have to
be withdrawn and replaced by fresh
troops, as both men and officers have
Z n . ion
to take the offensive against men with
whom they have been fraterniZing.
This momentary shifting of the i'm
mediate crisis from Ulster to the army
may give the peacemakers their de-
sired opening.
The return of Arthur ]. Balfour
/ former Uni"nist premier to London
has given heart to the advocate of {
compromise. He and Premier AS.
quith have served long years side by
side in the political field and under
stand an dappreciate one another.
Premier Asquith and Andrew Bonal
Law, the official leader of the opposi
tion in the House of Commons, when
ever they have come into contact have
given embittered displays of partisan
ship.
See Plan of Peace
! 1t was thought in many quarter.
/ lO-ddy llldl IL tilc 6oNci Woult
consent to give the counties of Ulster
perpetual local option on the question
of home rule, instead of compelling
them to come under the Dublin par
! lament at the en- dof six years, {
way out of the present difficulty would
be opened.
The Nationalists always have con
tended that the Ulstermen would b'
glad to join the home rule schedule
once 1t had been demonstrated tha
their fears of unfair treatment were
unfounded.
King George himself is taking ar
active part in the negotiations. He Is
not confining his conferences to mem
bers of the cabinet but has been il
communication with Arthur j. Bal
four and ga an audience to Field
Marshal Lord Roberts after he ha6
seen the Secretary of State for War
Lord Roberts subsequently conferred
at length with Colonel Seely and th'
war office executive staff which ha'
been working at high pressure.
An official communication ISSUED
this afternoon says:
1.-The recent movements of troop
in Ulster are purely precautionar.
with the object of giving adequat,
protection to depots of arms and am
munition and other government prop
erty against possible risks" 1t adds
There has not been and is not nov
any intention to move troops int
! Ulster except for these and like pur
noses"