[To 71111 EDITOR OF SRO
SIR,—In a note appended to Mr. Bernard Holland's letter on " The Will of the Nation" in your issue of April 4th you say: "We are Unionists, but if the country by a direct vote adopted the Home Rule Bill we should support its being forced upon Ulster. So, we are sure, would the Army. It would never dream of defying the will of the nation." After thirty-eight years' service on the active list of the Army, and the knowledge which that brings of its feelings, I have no hesitation in saying that you are wrong as regards the Army. I say that nothing would induce the Army to fight for the Nationalists, who have always jeered at and reviled it, and do BO even now. I can only wonder how you can suppose that it would do such a thing so contrary to human nature. It only shows how little you know of the Army.—I am, Sir, &a.,
[We cannot agree. We believe that, in the supposed ease of a Referendum going in favour of Home Rule, the Army, like us, would say : "We cannot have a condition of anarchy. We must, till the law can be altered, obey and enforce the law." It would be hateful work, and many officers would prefer to lose all rather than act against Ulster, but most of them would feel that it was useless to defy the will of the people, directly and unmistakably expressed by a Poll of the People. Unless we recognize some final authority in the matter of law- making—and what can be above the will of the majority of the voters ?—we shall break up as a nation. That service against Ulster, even after a Referendum, would be very unpopular is another matter.—En. Spectator.]
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