§ Mr. HUNTasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he will lay upon the Table the document furnished to him by the War Office relating to the British Army and Ulster written on House of Commons notepaper?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLsubmitted the following:—
"(With Mr. Rowland Hunt's compliments.)
From the 'Globe' of 19th November, 1913.
'Pledged to fight for Ulster.'
Letter from Mr. Rowland Hunt, M.P.
His Son and the Army.
Although we are Catholics, and therefore most anxious to be friends with the Catholics of Ireland (writes Mr. Rowland Hunt in the following letter to the 'Globe'), my son will feel bound to resign his 1373W commission in the Army, and I am pledged to fight for Ulster, if the Home Rule Bill is forced through the House of Commons without an appeal to the country.
Mr. Redmond (writes Mr. Rowland Hunt) tells us that the mass of English people are sold for Home Rule, and that they are not to he bullied into the betrayal of Ireland.' To pretend that Ireland may be bullied and betrayed is not only untrue but absurd, because it is perfectly well known that of late years far more has been done for the Irish than for the English people.
On the other hand, it is quite obvious to ordinary people that Mr. Asquith has been bullied by Mr. Redmond into driving the Home Rule Bill through the House of Commons in order that he and the Liberals might retain their salaries and patronage for three years.
As Mr. Redmond is SO certain of the support of the mass of the English people, how can he possibly object to an Election or Referendum? His assertions are palpably insincere, he is evidently afraid of putting them to the test. If the question was allowed to be put to the people of Great Britain and the verdict went, against Mr. Redmond, they would be, according to his own words, 'both fools and cowards.'
To add to these insults a Nationalist paper describes the soldiers of the Yorkshire and Berkshire regiments as 'little wretches,' and compares them with the pigs of the same breeds in Tipperary. Yet these are the little wretches whom Mr. Redmond is going to compel the Prime Minister to use to make war on Ulster-to coerce and shoot down the most loyal subjects of the King.
Mr. Redmond pledges for himself and his party `their fealty as a nation and their loyalty as men,' yet a few days ago we read that his friends and supporters of the Ancient Order of the Hibernian Irish-American Alliance unanimously passed a resolution at Cork 'emphatically protesting against the action of the Lord Mayor in officially toasting the English King, as by doing so he wilfully misrepresented a majority of the citizens of Cork.'
British officers will certainly refuse to lead their men against the loyalists of Ulster, so that if there is any bluff it comes, not from Ulster, but from Mr. Redmond and his obedient servant, the Prime Minister of England. it is to be hoped that British officers will find means of letting Mr. Asquith know that they will resign if the Home Rule Bill is sent to the King for signature before it is submitted to the people. Every loyal Territorial officer would have no difficulties about resigning, and surely should do so, to prevent civil war in Ireland, and to prevent the King from being placed in an impossible position.
Although we are Catholics, and therefore most anxious to be friends with the Catholics of Ireland, my son will feel bound to resign his commission in the Army, and I am pledged to fight for Ulster, if the Home Rule Bill is forced through the House of Commons without an appeal to the country.
Mr. Churchill tells us `that large numbers of his party naturally ask nothing better than to see whether the red blood of Ulster will really flow.' I conclude that Mr. Lloyd George and his followers will stay at home in peace and comfort and foully abuse their fellow countrymen as he did during the South African War."