Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-03-26
STRANGE TROOPS
SENT To ULSTER
Regiments Brought From South,
Others Go Away From Friends.
HUNDRED OFFICERS RESIGN
Orangemen Believed to Have Received
Orders for obiIization-Parade
Arranged for Sunday May
Be Abandoned.

London, March % The govern
ment began to dispose its regular
troops in Ireland so that they may be
in a position to deal with any situa
ton that arises Friday. The cooler
men among the loyalists and the Ulster
unionists, however, believe that moth
ing resembling war is yet in sight
War in Ulster" is the headline which
sensational London newspapers ara
displaying in the blacklist type.
The army council some time age
considered the possibilities of home
rule strife and instructed Lieut.. Gen
Sir Arthur Henry Fitzroy Padget, who
commands the Irish garrisons, to take
all necessary precautions to maintain
order and safeguard property. A gen
eral redistribution of the forces in Ire
land therefore was begun.
Two regiments were sent from the
south to reinforce the Ulster garrisons,
while the troops in Ulster were moved
to new stations in conformity with the
custom that in the event of hostiIities
or rioting soldiers should not be com
PEELED to encounter people with whom
they had formed friendships. In pur-
suance with the same rule some Irish
recruits were sent from the Armagh
recruiting station to England.
The war office admitted it had heard
rumors that 100 army officers of three
famous cavalry regiments in the Cur
ragh camp have resigned rather than
serve in Ulster. War Secretary Seely's
secretary said appropriate measures
would be taken to deal with the situa,
ton.
A conference of ministers, urgently
summoned, met at Colonel Seely's resi-.
dence and discussed the situation in
Ireland. Those present included Pre-
mier Asquith, Winston Spencer
Churchill, first lord of the admiralty,
and members of the war Office staff.
After this conference Mr.. Churchill
summoned the first sea lord, Prince
Louis of Battenberg, to Admiralty
house at midnight for a further discus
sion of the situation.
John Redmond, the nationalist
leader in parliament, telegraphed the
nationalists in Belfast an urgent ap-
peal to abandon a parade arranged for
Sunday in Londonderry, which it was
thought likely would result in rioting.
Sir Edward Carson, the Ulster leader,
and the members of the Ulster coun-
Gil invoked calmness on the part of
the volunteers. Four cabinet ministers
spoke of the Ulster situation at diff
ferent meetings.
Thomas McKinnon Wood, secretary
of state for Scotland, said: I'VE will
carry home rule by agreement if we
possibly can, but without it if we
must"
Augustine Btrrell, chief secretary for
Ireland, in his speech declared that
the governments proposals gave
Ulster freedom from coercion for six
years and that the scheme of Andrew
Bonar-Law, the leader of the opposi-
ton in parliament, meant immediate
coercion if a referendum went against
Ulster.
Belfast, March 23.-Surprises and
suppressed excitement crowded the
entire day for the people of Belfast.
The dramatic entry into the city of Sir
Edward Carson, the unionist leader in
Ulster, fresh from his defiance of the
government in the house of commons,
his greeting by Gen. George Richard
son, retired, commander of the Ulster
volunteers, and picked bodyguard,
and a conference which followed with
the Ulster leaders, furnished the ex-
citement.