ULSTER'S STRENGTH.
[To nix EDITOR. OF TEO ..SPZOTAT02."1
Sis.,—Admittedly the policy of the Government towards Ulster is determined by the strength of Ulster's resistance— be it from a desire for peace and concord or from less admir- able motives. It is, therefore, a matter of importance that the Government should keep itself well informed on this point. It seems possible it is even yet blundering on, if what the writer has heard on good authority is correct. It is said to be common talk in the Castle" circles that the real Government of Ireland, the permanent officials, disregarding information supplied by their own subordinates, are still pooh-poohing all reports of the strength of the Volunteer armament, and have advised the Cabinet that there cannot be more than seventeen or eighteen thousand rifles in all Ulster !
I give the statement for what it is worth. This, if true, is but more of the ostrich policy which allowed the North to become an armed camp ere our rulers ceased laughing at the wooden-guns joke. (It may be it was not altogether from Irish official sources that Mr. Asquith learned of the seriousness of the situation.) It is believed much of this "valuable" official information is collected from certain (Protestant) ministers of religion. But Ulstermen are a taci- turn race, and their drill-grounds and their camps are not open to the public. And when one finds that even the men's leaders and ministers (such as the writer can claim to be), in touch with them and trusted by them, are without any know- ledge of such matters, beyond the ample supply of modern weapons before their eyes on all occasions of training, one wonders if these armchair officials are as well informed as they think, and if their sneers are not as inept as the jokes and taunts of our absentee Chief Secretary. As to information from Nationalist sources—especially the dim Nationalism of the North—it would be to Irishmen valueless, even were it
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