Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-27
IRELAND WINS A VICTORY
At Last England is Forced to Recog-
nize Volunteer Training Corps as
Part of Military System.
FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND MEN

Correspondence OF The Associated Press)
LONDON March 1.-THE decision OF
the government TO recognize the militia
organization known as the Volunteer
Training corps as part Of the military
forces OF the country solves difficulty
that for many months threatened to
wreck the whole volunteer home-defcnse
movement
The trouble arose in connection with
Ireland. and shows how the old home
rule quarrel persists even In the face Of
war Tho Irish nationalists, or home
rulers, saw that a bill giving official rec
ognition to the volunteer forces would
strengthen the power OF the Nationalist
volunteer force. which is a considerable
body Of men. all united with the inten-
tion OF backing the demand for home rule
with force. II necessity should arise
To prevent this strengthening Of the
home rule element, the government pre-
pared bill at the last session which
was carefully worded so SIS not to apply
20 Ireland at ALL but the nationalists
saw through the ruse promptly and
threatened 20 put up q big fight. The
government then included ireland. and
proposed to include both the national
lHlh anu Ine OlSLeT AnIl-ftOtne RUE MILL
tia. But the Ulsterites rose In force
against this compromise. pointing out
that practically all the young men of the
Ulster volunteers had forsaken II for the
front. whereas there were still large
numbers of men Of military age in the
nationalist militia.
So, while Ireland was ausrreling. the
bill was allowed to die. and accordingly
no official recognition could be given to
the home-defense organizations through
act OF parliament.
The ministry has now got around this
by merely recognizing the volunteers
under an old military act OF 1853. whereby
ireland is excluded, inasmuch as the act
In question never applied to ireland.
The Volunteer Training corps thus en-
rolled as a part of the nations fighting
forces are believed to aggregate nearly
10000 men. The corps was organized spe-
officially for home defense, and includes
mostly men past military age or other
wise exempt from military duty. The
organization led a thankless ana union.
ored existence during its first year. The
papers poked a good deal of fun at e.
and the war office ignored Il. But de-
spite rebuffs. the movement spread with
remarkable rapidity. 1t adopted a gray.
green uniform with red brassard. with
the initials 'G. r." standing presumably
for George Rex. and drilled faithfully in
the highways and byways.
Punsters explained the &c. r." al
standing for Georges Wrecks" Coins
Rotten" or yGovernment's Rejects" but
no amount OF ridicule avaIled to hinder
the growth of the movement.
AZ one time It was suggested that the
Volunteers should so to Flanders to dig
trenches. but the scheme fell through
When the Derby canvass began they
proved Of the greatest assistance. They
helped in the canvass. and as soon as tn.
canvass was completed they threw open
their ranks 10 the Derby recruits. offer.
ing them free preliminary training. 80
that when they were called up they
would not have to begin absolutely al
the beginning.