The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-07-06

each county govern lls OWN Noiuu /
teers.
Belfast, July 6.-The 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 drill
spasmodically and are not connected
with any central organization. All
the local leaders act entirely on their
own initiative. In some districts the
volunteers are split into factions un-
der opposing leaders, who carry on
newspaper warfare.
The Ulster leaders say that the
Nationalist volunteers must fail
through the impossibility of getting
arms. They claim to have many let
ters from America showing that the
Irish there are tired of contributing
to Home Rule, and now that they
consider an irish parliament assured,
they propose to let those in Ireland
settle their Internal questions with
out help. Even if American sympa-
tiizers should refill the war chest,
the present government measures to
suppress gun running in all ports
would checkmate them.
1--WE 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 Assocla-
ted Press.
In many Ulster villages the Ma
ticnalist bands are being drilled by
retired army sergeants near the halls
and parade grounds of the Ulster bat
talions and the townspeople are able
to watch the preparations of both
forces.
There were $500 Nationalist volIA-
teers in Belfast about the middle of
June and many more in Londonderry
city, where Catholics and protestant'
are much more evenly balanced in
numbers.
In the Coyenanter 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 non-conformist'
and force AsQuith to grant Ulster
demand for permanent eXclusio,
from ar Irish government The othe
faction which includes important busi
ness men, fought successfully to pre-
5 vent the declaration of a provisioYa
government for Ulster when the HON,
rule bill passed the third readinl
= in the house of commons. The frs
! faction now clamors to have the pro
a visonal government set up when tn,
! king signs the bill, while the NOR,
g conservative business interests coun
: sci delay until the Irish parliament il
lJuDllu is lduuCutu. Oh EdNa SdA
4 son sided with the latter. faction. a
, the last conference of leaders here.
, Meantime the volunteers, saturated
D with the military spirit, are becomin!
: impatient. Some battalions have eveI
4 sent deputations of officers to head
e quarters to ask when the campaigl
9 would begin, and the work of keel
) ing the bold spirits quiet is increas
J. ingly difficult.
The headquarters staff has worke,
e out a plan of campaign for hostil
It ties. 1t is not likely that they vii
l. attempt to use this citizen fore
S against trained regulars with heay
It guns, for as one officer remarked, tn
g most they could expect would be t
e put up one good fight and be cut t
l. pieces. The present plans are to kee
e. the Ulster Nationalists in check whe
e the provisional government is set VI
e Most of the Belfast volunteers ar
being formed into four regiment
T. known as the Belfast division, whic
d will act as a police force. A flyin
h column, composed of $500 picked an
n paid volunteers, majority of whoI
n- are old soldiers, has been organize
y as first line striking force with m,
y, tor transport capable of conveying
IS to any part of Ulster in less tha
D. four hours. This force is arme
le throughout with new Mausers and po
% sesses ten Maxims of the latest pa
n tern. Certain county regiments, e
IL pecially those of Antrim and Armagi
e. would go on active service with tn
i'd column, while other county regiment
including Londonderry must remain ;
ly home to suppress the Nationalists.
S, If the provisional government WEI
Id established the flying column woul
III be sent to Londonderry where th