Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-06
NIGHT DRILLING ALARMS
VOLUNTEERS" OF UL STER
Episode in North of Ireland Brings Out carsons to Find
Out What 1t Is All MISUNDERSTANDING of Ammunition
Vessels for the NatonaIists
Especial Correspondence

0A4A AZ II may E0,-1ne OQL3IanO-
Ing episode of the week is the mat
ter of the night exercises of two
companies of the First Battalion
NortoIk Regiment in the Craigavon
district and the events it gave rise
The Norfolk regiment comprises the
garrison at Hollywood (some six miles
IRON Belfast on the County Down
side), and not very far away is
SralgaVon, the country home of Cap
tam Craig, NJ. p, made famous By
the stag there, surrounded by semi
military guard of volunteers of Sir
Edward Carson during the great
Ulster Plot" week. Well, the Nor
folks on Friday night last were en-
gagged in night outpost exercises in
this locality and in the course OF
thelr operations, picllets were posted
at various points around the Craig
residence. The soldiers had fixed
bayonets and went through their
eyolutions, little thinking that they
were causing any alarm In the beili-
cose hearts of any Unionist warriors.
But such an uncalled-for intrusion
INTO such sacred territory was not to
pass unnoticed. The movements of
the military were reported to some
of the officers of the East Belfast
volunteers, who decided that couple
Of battalions of the Ulster Volun-
teers should be modified. A number
of the men were accordingly called
out of their beds with all evidence
OF mysterious hurry, and force Of
SIX hundred volunteers was at length
mustered.
These persons kept observation on
Craigavon and the soldiers for some
1ours until, in the early morning, the
latter were withdrawn and marched
off to their barracks. 1t was thought
by the volunteer folks that the au-
thorities had been apprehensve of a
distribution of arms or something
of the kind and had put the military
INTO action to prevent any such hap
pening. But the commander Of the
troops denied that there was any
such idea, and added that "the move
mentS were the most ordinary night
movements which every company has
TO carry out in the course of its
training" The local Unionist eve
ming paper headed this statement,
Norfolk Colonel Explains" The idea
that military commander should be
expected to explain" any such
movements is only one that could &C.
cur to Unionist scribes-or Unionist
Voluntecrs-in their present spirit of
martial swelled- headedness. Lord
Londerry'ss heir. the Viscount Astle-
reagh, suggested in the House OF
Cosamons since then that the SOL
.4ders' present at Craigavon district
was "of a very provocative charac-
ter" but Mr. Lloyd George quickly
told the lordling that "the govern
ment cannot assent to the PROPOSE
tion that the fact of troops having
rifles in Ireland should be provoca-
tive The whole thing made week
end sensation. most people shaking
their heads at the impudence of the
whole Unionist aspect of the affair.
II is significant, at any rate, OF the
bumptious mood into which the UNI
punished gnn-rnnning exploits have
led the volunteer warriors.
Quiet In Belfast.
But such events az these are mere
occasional happenings. Everything
looks quiet in Belfast city, though
there is everywhere the feeling that
any moment might see an outbr eak
of trouble. BUSINESS people go to
their works, shops and offices every
day, as If there was no Ulster crisis;
evening crowds attend band concerts
in different parks Saturday and half.
holiday crowds merrily betake them
selves to picnics and excursions to
all the seaside and rural haunts when
the sun comes out to shine on the
fields and the sea, and children dance
happily around their little flower
bedecked May queens in the openings
to the most unlovely of lanes and
passages in all quarters. Everything
looks serene and calm-until the
skirl of @ pipe band and the tramp
of volunteer party break upon the
ear. There is the Earring note-the
reminder of the trouble that may be
near.
The drums are out! You do not, Of
course, know the Belfast Orange
drums. They are the most unmusical
of sound producers in the world, and
that is saying a good deal. But no
Twelfth" of July would be the real
thing without them. These giant in
struments are generally carried out
in pairs, two strong men carrying tho
two drums in front of them and
whacking vigorously at them with
two long canes as If to knock the
1oudest amount of noise possible out
of them. They are really the out
ward emblems of the Ascendecy and
the reminder of the days when their
harsh tones bade the "Croppies lie
: down" They are but little heard i'll
the winter or spring, but when May
comes they begin to be frequent, for
they and their players" must be got
into order for the great procession on