The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1914-07-09
HOME RULE MAY
YET CAUSE WAR
ORANGEMEN AWAIT ACTION or
PARLIAMENT AND SUSPENSE
Grows TENSE.
FIGHTING FORCES REVIEWED
Leaders Of C~ovenanters Claim Ma.
tional Movement Not Serious, as
Volunteer Companies Are
Disorganized.

London, July with every week
pf suspense in the settlement of the
future government of Ireland the men
ace of the military preparations by
the Ulster and the home rule Volun.
teers increases. The present tendency
among the volunteers of the south is
to accept leadership by the National
list party which John Redmond offered
them.
Hostile Armed Camps.
Thus led, there would be a clear
division of the home rulers and anti
home rule men into hostile armed
camps. The very dangers of a bitter
civil war which such a prospect pre-
sents, furnishes the best safeguard for
peace.
Correspondents Of the Associated
Press at Dublin and Belfast have writ.
ten of the situation from the National
list and Ulster points of view respect
lively.
An Interesting Development.
The most interesting development is
the plan, hitherto unpublished, of the
Orangemen under Sir Edward Carson
for taking charge of affairs by force
II a provisional government is set up,
and the fact that the commercial men
of Belfast have used their influence in
Ulster councils to postpone radical ac-
ton until a home rule parliament has
been established in Dublin. The great
question which c~onfronts the Nation
alist volunteers is how far their Amer
lean sympathizers are likely to come
forward with funds for their arms and
equipment.
Volunteer Estimates Vary.
Dublin.-Estimates of the number of
the Irish Nationalist volunteers vary
between $4,000, which is the Dublin
Castle figure compiled by the police.
and 100000, which is the estimate
given in platform speeches. Careful
inquiry shows that there are sc, 1000 in
Leinster, which takes the lead, about
$4,000 in Ulster increasing rapidly,
$4,000 in Munster and q 5000 in Con.
naught.
The difficulty OF exact estimate
arises from the fact that the move
ment is not organized from the center
Forces have sprung up spontaneously
In every parish. and so far are only
loosely connected with the provisional
central body. There has been a COM
plete wiping u of all class distinc-
tons. and the rank and file include
every grade-farmers, laborers, shop
assistants, clerks, doctors, lawyers,
and country gentlemen. There is a
very strong leaven of t~ime-exrired SOL
diers-old Connaught Rangers. Dublin
Fusiliers and Munster Fusiliers. and
their experience is proving useful in
the drill.
No Central Organization.
Belfast.-The leaders of the Cove
nanters in Ulster profess to consider
the Nationalist volunteer movement as
something not to be taken seriously.
These Nationalist bands in the Ulster
counties drill spasmodically and are
not connected with any central organ.
ization. All the local leaders act en-.
tirely on their own initiative. In some
districts the volunteers are split into
factions under opposing leaders, who
carry on a newspaper warfare.
The Ulster leaders say that the Ma
tionalist volunteers must fail through
the impossibility of getting arms. They
claim TO have many letters from Amer
lea showing that the Irish there are
tired of contributing t. home rule, and
now that they consider an Irish parlia-
menta assured, they propose to let those
In Ireland settle their internal ques-
tons without help. Even If American
s~ympathizers should refill the war
chest the present government meas.
ures to suppress gun running in all
ports would checkmats them.
I'VE have two years start in the
matter of arming and we mean to keep
It," an official of the Ulster Unionist
council said to The Associated Press.