The chronicle=news., 1914-07-08
ULSTER men ARE
||REAOY To RESIST
Home RULE

L
Belfast, July 8.-T'he leaders OF
the covenanters in Ulster profess to
consider the nationalist volunteer
movement as something not to be
taken seriously. These nationalist
bands in the Ulster counties drlM
spasmodically and are not connect
ed with any central organization.
All the local leaders act entirely on
their own initiative. In some dis
tricts the volunteers are split into
factions under opposing leaders. who
carry. on newspaper warfare.
The Ulster leaders say that the
nationalist volunteers must fail
through the impossibiiity Of getting
arms. They claim to have many
letters from America showing that
the Irish there are tired of contrib
uting to home rule, and now that
they consider an Irish parliament as
sured, they propose to let those in
Ireland settle their internal ques-
lions without help. Even II Anneri-
can sympathizers should refill the
war chest tho present government
measures to suppress gun ruhning-in
all ports would checkmate them.
I'VE have two years start in the
matter OF arming and we mean toI
keep It," an official of the Ulster
unionist council said to The Assoc
ciated Press. 5f st- a1"r
In many Ulster villages the ma
stionalist bands are being drilled by
retired army sergeants near the halls
and parade grounds Of the Ulster
battalions and the townspeople are
able to watch the preparations of
both forces.
There were $500 nationalist vol
unteers in Belfast about the middle
OF June and many more in Lon
donderry city, where Catholics and
Protestants are much more evenly
balanced in numbers.
In the covenanter movement there
are two distinct factions at present.
One is a militant section which ad-
vocates immediate provocative action
with the belief that bloodshed would
shock the English nonconformists
and force Asquith to grant Ulster's
demand for permanent exclusion
from an Irish government. The 9TH
err faction which includes important
business men fought successfully to
prevent the declaration OF q provis-
ional government for Ulster when
the home rule bill passed the third
| reading in the house Of commons.
The first faction now clamors to have
the provisional government set up
when the king signs the bill, while
the more conservative business in
terests counsei delay until the Irish
parliament in Dublin is launched.
Sir Edward Carson sided with the
/ latter faction at the last conference
II leaders here. ..'t
Meantime the volunteers, saturat-
ed wit 1.-THE military spirit, are be-
! coming impatient. Some battalions
have been sent Populations Of OIL
GERS to headquarters to ask when the
campaign would begin. and the work
II keeping the bold spirits quiet is
Increasingly difficult.
The headquarters stan has worked
out a plan of campaign for HOSTILE
ties. 1t is not likely that they will
attempt to use this citizen force
| against trained regulars with heavy
guns, for as one officer remarked,
the most they could expect would be
1 to put up one good fight and be cut
to pieces. The present plans are TO
keep the Ulster nationalist in check
when the prov isional government is
set up. +
Most OF the Belfast volunteers are
being formed into four regiments
known as the Belfast division, which
will act as police force. IA flying
'olumn composed OF $500 picked and
paid volunteers. a majority Of whom
are old soldiers, has been organized