Las Vegas optic., 1914-03-25
WARSECRETARY'S 5
RESIGNATION
RECEIVED
Continued From PAGE ons.l

4
CONTINUED. From Page one.l
that an officer Of the British army was
compelled to obey orders to shoot
only IA case the order was a reason
able one under the circumstances"
General Paget telegraphed to the
war office on March 20 that all the
officers Of the Fifth Irish lancers sta.
toned in Dublin had resigned with
the exception of two. He said he
feared that the same conditions pre-
vailed among the officers of the Six
teenth Queens lancers stationed at
the Curraugh. That evening General
Faget telegraphed to the war office
that the brigadier general and 81 Of
ficers OF the Third cavalry brigade at
the Carraugh prefer to accept dis
mlssal if they are ordered to the
north"
The war office replied to General
Pagetr
you are authorized to suspend
from duty any senior officers who
have rendered taeir designations, OF
in any other manner have disputed
your authority. The designations of
all officers should besrefused."
The war office adsos saidnthat other
officers were being sent to relieve
Brigadier General Huberti Cough, COM
mander of the Thiro cavalry brigade,
and the commanding officers of the
Fifth and Sixteenth lancers, who
were ordered to proceed to London
Brigadier General Cough, in report
ing the feeling OF his brigade as the
result of communication from the
war office. conveyed TO him verbally
by General Paget said:
"The officers of my brigade are
unanimous in the opinion that fur
ther information is essential before
they should be called on at such short
notice to- take decisions SO vitality
= affecting their whole future and es-
peoially that clear definition should
: be given Of the terms, duty as or
dered and active operations in VI
ster.
! IF such duty consists Of the main
tenance Of order and preservation Of
property, all the officers, including
9 myself. are prepared TO carry out that
n duty. If, however, the duty involves
:, the initiation of active military op-
e eraions against Ulster, 81 officers
b would respectfully and under protest,
I prefer to resign
: After an interview with Colonel
4 Seeley Brigadier General Cough wrote
J. t. the war office:
g One of the first questions asked
q by our officers will be: In the event
d of the present home rule bill becom-
I ing law. can we be called on to en-
5 force it on Ulster under the express
sion Of Maintaining law and order?'
t This point should be made quite clear.
$ Otherwise there will be renewed mis-
5 conceptions"
In reply Brigadier General Cough
, received letter, initiated by Colonel
t Seeley, as secretary for war, and by
: Tield marshal Sir John French, au-
. tnorizing him to inform the officers:
: "The army council is satisfied that
/ the incident which has arisen in re-
: gard to their designations was due
( to a misunderstanding.
The letter continued that it is the
J duty Of soldiers to obey the com
I mands for the protection Of life and
property in support of the civil power
/ IN the event of disturbances, and the
army council is glad that rhere never
has been and never will,he any ques-
! ton OF disobeying such orders.
!. It continued; W0n
? THE government must retain its
, right to use all the forces Of the
/ crown in ireland. or elsewhere, to
maintain order and support the civil
power in the ordinary execution of
their duty, but it has no intention
j whatever Of taking advantage of this
7 right in order to crush political oppo-
( sition to the policy or the principles
, OF the home rule BILL