The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-03-25
SEELY RESIGNS.


when asking for further information
and it appears evident that he was
quoting the remarks Of General Paget.
Correspondence Made Public.
London, March 25.-The mutiny of
a section Of the officers of the British
regular army in Ireland when they
believed they were to be ordered to
fight the Ulster men was again before
parliament today. The correspond
cree between the war office and the
army offices in Ireland which led to
the recent wholesale designations and
reinstatements was made public in
the shape of a white paper" or Off
cia1 communication to the houses of
parliament.
1t can be seen from this correspond
eDce that the war office was informed
early in December of the possibility
If designations of officers In case the
Ulster situation came to q crisis. The
consequence of this Information
for war, interviewed the general Of
fiCers in command and explained to
them that an officer of the British
army was compelled to obey orders to
shoot .'only in case the order was a
reasonable one under the circum-
stances.
The secretary of war told them that
TO one, from a general down to pri-
vate. was expected to use more force
than was required to maintain order
arG the safety of life and property.
He continued:
TT therefore, officers and men of
the British army have been led to be-
lieve that there is 4 possibility that
they might be called upon to take out
rageous action-for instance to mas
sacre Orangemen, who are causing no
danger to the lives of their neighbors
bad as would be the effects on dis
cipline in the army nevertheless 1t is
true that they are in fact and in law
justified in a refusal to obey.
There never has been and is not
now any intention, however, of giving
outrageous and Illegal orders to the
troops. -..
Law Must BE Obeyed.
"The law will be respected and must
be obeyed. What must now be faced
is the possibility Of action being re-
quired by troops in supporting the
civil power in protecting lives and
property when the police are unable
to hold their own. $50.
"Attempts have been made to dis
suade the troops from obeying law
full orders given to them when acting
in support of the civil power. These
attempts have amounted fOst1ie claim
that officers and men OF the army
could pick and choose between lawful
and reasonable orders saying they
would obey in one case and not in an
other
declaring tnaI Cnere hAQ not Decn q
single case Of lack of discipline in this
respect in the British army. Col.
Seely says:
"At the same time as views and
statements uttered in the press and
elsewhere made my position clear. I
| informed the general officers that /
! would hold each of them individually
responsible to see there was no con-
duct in their commands subversive
to discipline. I told them they could
let lit be clearly understood that any
such conduct would be dealt with un-
der the kings regulations.
IF any army officer should tender
his resignation I told the generals
| that they should ask for his reasons
and if he indicated that he desired to
| choose which order he would obey, !
would submit to the king that the
officer should be removed from the
army
| This document was followed by a
letter dated March II from the war
| office to General Sir Arthur Paget.
commander-in-chief in Ireland. in
which Sir Arthur was informed:
| Letter to Paget.
| I'm consequence OF reports received
| by the governments that attempts are
Icing made in various parts of ireland
bv evil1y disposed persons to obtain
| possession Of arms and ammunition
! and other government stores, it is con-
| sldered advisable that you should al
once take special precautions for safe
guarding the depots and other places
where arms and stores are kept al
you may think advisable.
1T appears that Armagh, Omagh
| Carrickfergus and EnniEkill are insult.
ficiently guarded. being specially liza
i, HE to attack
Orders also were given to the Of
ficers in command Of barracks where
arms and ammunition were stored
that they would be held responsible
| for the safety OF that property an6
i that such places never should be LEFT
unguarded. 1t is pointed out that thi.
order referred to the whole of Ireland
General Paget telegraphed to the wal
office March 20 that all the Officers
(: If the Fifth Royal Irish Lancers sta
! toned in Dublin, had resigned Will
z the exception of two. He said hi
+ feared that the same conditions pre-.
vailed among the officers of the Six
tenth Queens Lancers stationed Al
the Curragh and that the men wouli
refuse to move. That same evening
General Paget telegraphed to the wal
office that the brigadier general an(
81 officers Of the Third cavalry brig
s.de at the Curragh prefer to accep
dismissal i they are t ordered , to tn.
General Paget:
You are authorized to suspend
Il from duty any senior officers wht
have rendered their designations or il
Fl any other manner have disputed you
authority. The designations Of all of
ficers should be refused"
II Their Places FIXED.
The war office also said that othel
officers were being sent to relieve Brig
adler General Hubert Cough, com
mander OF the Third cavalry BRIGADE