Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-08-05

that all that territory belonged to
England. That aroused his natural
envy. Later in life. said this young
man, he understood by historical read
ing that England had built up the
British empire by a series of wars.
explorations and commercial adven-
lures. which gave her just claim to
possession. They had no quarrel with
that. They recognized the strength
and greatness of the English people
in the past. But now they saw that
England vas no longer great. She
was decadent and inefficient. Her day
was done. They hated her now as a
worn -out old monster. who still tried
to grab and hold, and prevent other
races from developing their genius,
but had no military power with which
to defend their possessions. England
was playing a game of bluff. Ger
many. conscious of her newborn
greatness. her immense industrial
genius. her vital strength, needing
elbow room and free spaces of the
earth, would not allow a degenerate
people to stand across her path. Ger
many hated England for her AFRO
gance. masking weakness. and her
hypocritical professions of friendship,
which concealed envy and fear.
After that visit to Germany. / went
several times to Ireland, and, although
there seems to be no link between
these two missions. I am certain now
that in the minds of German agents.
politicians and military strategists
the situation in Ireland was not left
out of account in their estimate OF
war chances
Sir Edward Carson, afterward
Lord Carson. with F. E. Smith, after
ward Lord Birkenhead $50 does Eng
Iland reward her rebelso were arrang-
ing a bloody civil war in Ireland,
which. but for a great war, would
have spread to England. without let
or hindrance from the British govern
ment.
WHEN the home rule bill under
w Asquith's premiership, was near
ing its last stages, Carson raised an
army of FISHERMEN and invited every
Protestant and Unionist to take SOL
emn oath in holy league and coven-
ant to resist home rule to the very
death. / was an eyewitness OF many
remarkable and historic scenes when
king Carson" as he was called in
irony by Irish home rulers. Inspected
his troops. made triumphal progress
through Ulster. stirring up old fires of
racial and religious hatred.
There was a good deal Of play act
ing about all this, and Carson was
meIodramatic in all his speeches and
gestures, with touch OF irving In
the rendering of his pose as a grim
and resolute patriot and leader of
Protestant forces, but there was real
pas sion behind it all. and the sincerity
of fanaticism. If it came to the ordeal
of battle, these young farmers and
shonk eepers who paraded in battal-
ions before Carson and his lieuten-
ants. marching with good discipline,
a strong and sturdy~type of manhood,
would fight with the courage and
ruthlessness of men inspired by
hatred and bigotry.
The British government pooh
poohed Carson's army, and de-
scribed it as an unarmed rabble. But
very brief inquiry convinced me
that large quantities of arms were
being imported into Belfast and dis
tributed through Ulster. There was
hardly a pretense at secrecy, and the
Great Western Railway authorities
showed me boxes bearing large red
labels with the word firearms bold
Nv printed thereon. The proprietor
of one of the Belfast hotels led me
down into his cellars and showed me
cases of rifles stacked as high as the
ceiling. He told me they came from
Germany. I went round to the gun
smith shops, and / was told that they
were selling cheap revolvers 'liks
| hot cakes" There was hardly a man
i in Ulster. who had not got a hrearm
of some kind or other. ITS good for
business" said one of the gunsmiths,
laughing caNdidly, but one Of these
days the things will go of. and there
will be the devil to pay Why the
British government allows 1T Is be
yond understan ding."
The British government did no. ac-
knowledge the truth of 1t. I made
detailed report of my investigation
| to Robert Donald, who passed it on to
, Winston Churchill. and his comment
was the incredulous remark, Gibbs
has had his leg pulled" But it was
iChurchill's leg that was pulled. very