LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
[Letters of the length of one of our leading paragraphs are often more read, and therefore more effective, than those which fin treble the space.]
IRELAND AND MAN-POWER.
[TO THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECTATOR.") Ein,—In your excellent article on "Ireland and Man-Power " you quote from the Evening News a statement that Irish Unionist M.P.'s hold the view that Conscription in Ireland would be inad- visable at the present time. This statement is quite incorrect. Some of our M.P.'s might very likely apprehend that if the Government of Ireland is to be conducted in the future as it has been for the last ten years under Dillonite advice, Compulsory Service may be so administered as to do their constituents grave injustice, and endanger the realm. Were the present Military Service Act to be extended to Ireland and administered by Tribu- nals consisting mainly of " popular " Magistrates amenable to the influence of Sinn Fein Catholic curates and Dillonite parish priests, the remaining able-bodied Loyalists might all be taken, and large numbers of rebels and potential rebels of military age left at large.
One of the reasons, perhaps the chief reason, why the numbers of the Ulster Division have not been better kept up by voluntary recruiting is the reluctance of Loyalists to send away more of their able-bodied men while the country is full of Sinn Feiners of military age who are believed to be capable of raiding Loyalist houses in the country, if they thought they could do so with impunity. Not long ago I received a letter from an Orangeman of humble rank, which, with some information useful to me as a Magistrate, contained the following words :- " Be good enough to write and ask Mr. -- to try and have con- reription applied at least on Ulster. Of course, one thing certain, we are a total disgrace [referring to failure to send recruits to the Ulster Division] and on the other hand, our country is swarming with Sinn Feiners, and it is to get them out of the country, for they are going to invade our homes. . . . If we have to go ourselves we prefer facing the Germans before these rubbish."
Ulster Unionists are unanimously in favour of the application of Compulsory Military Service to Ireland, but on the under- standing that it will be fairly applied. They are anxious to see the remainder of their own men of military age serving with their comrades at the front, provided the men of military age belonging to the other Party are sent too. We ask for no favour. We only claim justice and fair play, and those on your side of the water who now join us in asking for the application of Compulsory Military Service to Ireland must see that they get it.—I am, Sir,
Previous page
