The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1916-09-09
ireland in August, 1916
(Second Article.)
BY J, ID. Lyons.

ship concerns at Belfast are employ
ing nearly 10000 hands at present
which with the munition supply fac
tors makes the one anti-Nationalist
city of Ireland a beehive of industry
as compared with neglected and suf-
fering Dublin. But the workers are
not all residents of Ireland. Many
have crossed over from England and
Scotland thinking to escape conscrip-
ton by working on ship construction
destined for the transport service.
One-third of the permanent pOpula-
ton of Belfast is Nationalist, but they
do not mold the best positions in the
shipyards or factories. They have
hard time living under the oppressive
taskmasters, especially since the Dub
lin uprisings. Many of them have
been discharged for alleged sympathy
with the rebels and are scorned for
not entering the army They do not
pass through Sandy Row and in turn
do not permit their enemies to spend
their time in High Street in West
Belfast. Devlin's Nationalist Club is
crowded nightly and his organ, The
Irish Times, has become only moder-
ately Nationalist in tone and may be
said to have been forced into the po-
sition of becoming a government or
gan. The voting lists of West Bel
fast are scrutinized closely, every
death or removal is noted, the effect
on the register OF vacated houses is
watched and counted daily as Joseph
Devlin has become the most powerful
political leader in Ireland. He is the
only member of the Irish party with
a Protestant Democratic following
and his friends claim an increased
support from that element which will
Offset the loss OF old supporters who
have left him because they oppose
his plan of separating portions of VI
ster from the remainder of Ireland.
The Ulster clergy as a rule, of all
denominations, oppose the partition
and was surprised to hear some Of
ficers of the Bank Of Ulster say they
much preferred Home Rule for all
Ireland to the partition plan which
would hurt Belfast trade and bank
ing with other sections of the cOun-
try.
| Sir Edward Carson is faced with a
split among his own followers. The
feeling over the conduct of the war
has divided his supporters into two
classes, one faction approving his
criticism of the government, the other
appearing to believe that his course
| gives comfort to the enemies of the
British Government in other lands.
Despite all reports there is no posi-.
bility of his effecting truce with
Joseph Devlin as the bitterness of
feeling between the two factions has
been increased since the April, rebel
lion and is intensified by the persecu
tions under the Defense OF the Realm
Act and the execution of martial law
| Recruiting in Ulster.
Joseph Devlin claims credit for %,
900 Nationalist recruits for the British
army in the Province of Ulster while
Sir Edward Carson says his side fur
nished $4,000 men. Good judges OF
the rival claims fix the Devlin recruits
at $4,000 and the Carsonites at 10000
Out OF 600 Belfast recruits, from July
2 to 2G undoubtedly not 20 men were
Of the Nationalist persuasion. Re
cruiting among Ulster Nationalist is
quite as dead as in the south The
mortality rate among the Ulster re
cruits OF all classes has been abnor
mally high. There is scarcely Tory
family OF the old class in the NORTH
but has suffered death and the cas-
ualties among the officers is startling
There is no longer any real talk fol
conscription among even the Ulster
unionists except for outside consump
ton. Derry, which furnished many
recruits early in the war, has scarcely
sent so men to the. front in two
months. Within four weeks So arm,
officers from Ulster have been killed
on the Somme front. A long list q
Ulster seamen are reported dead il
the Jutland naval engagement. TIL,
parish priests have been quietly can
vassing against the recruiting agent.
during the past six months and thu
whisper is heard, ireland has done
too much!"
Sir Edward Carson demands an in
vestigation of the Mesopotamian arm,
which has not been heard from in {
long time and where many unmarked
graves of Ulstermen, unreported, are
said to exist. There are ugly rumors
OF entire regiments having been de
stroyed by the Turks in Mesopotamia
and the suspicion is growing thai
many Irish troops have been slaugh
tered there as in the Dardanelles anG
Gallipoli peninsula campaign, where
the Irish people did not learn of theil
fearful losses until after the British
army had retreated from Turkey. All
the news here is favorable to the
British i'll the Somme offensive anG
1 nNv,ls ball