The Irish Volunteer - Volume 2 - Number 3 by An Phoblacht

THE

E~DITED

BY EOIN MAC ·NEILL. , Price One Penny.

SATURDAY, DECEMB .ER 19, 1914.

~,_=->T_E_s___I On Saturday evening Mr. Arthur James Balfour, M.P., addressed a. mass meeting at Bristol. Memories have become so short in Ireland, and things have been spinning aroun~ on such giddy curves, that it may not be out of place to say here what Ireland, for which we are concerned, has to do with Mr. Balfour and what Mr. Balfour has to do with Ireland. It is necessary to be quite clea-r on this point, for, in view of the excellent s.entiments and the exalted principles of:.. public policy expressed in Mr. Balfour's speech, we might ver:y easily be found asking ourselves is Balfour really Balfour, or is he oi;i.ly, like Homer, another man of the same name ?

in fashion and find a ready acceptance, holds up to Bristol's contempt the doctrine of the Superman, the ruthless foreign person who uses superior force to dominate and puj; down the weak and helpless . His friend Mr. Cha.mbe~lain announced once the doctrine . of the Super-nation as the ideal prin~iple of England's relation to Ireland: "We are thirty-foi.u millions to four ." It was nothing n~w in fads, only a candid statement. We are _still governed on that principle. The Unionists have even discovered their ideal Superman for Ireland, in' the person of a:p. ind~yi_dual who served his political apprentic~ship under Mr. Balfour, and learned to out-superman Mr. Balfour's superhumanity.

Mr. Balfour told his Bristol audience that "it was quite true that they were at war because treaty obligations and • national honour required them to support Mr. Arthur James Balfour was selected and defend a nation whose µeutrality was by his uncle, the late Lord Salisbury, violated with every circumstance of Prime Minister of England, to administer military horror and abomination. The to Ireland Lord Salisbury's prescription tragedy of Serbia. and the tragedy of Belfor Ireland's cure, "twenty years of gium were hut episodes in a still greater resolute government." Mr. Balfoui' was tragedy, and the crime that had been resolute enough . He did not go as deep committed in Flanders and in the North as Castleragh ill "dabbling his sleek of F:r:ance were out episodes iu a, greater young ~hands i:q. Brin' s gore,'' though he crime than these against civilisation." once issued the celebrated instruction: What a. champion of national honour ! "Don't hesitate to shoot." He showed How much national honour, how much his resolution in another wa.y. With a personal honour, governed the right thoroughness that left nothing to chance, honourable gentleman's conduct of the h e engineered a colossal conspiracy '' Times '' conspiracy ? 'l'rea ty obligaagainst P arnell and the whole Irish tions ! 'l'here was a 'l'reaty of Limerick , pa.rty, and presided over a chapter of and a R enunciation Treaty of 1783, ~nd modem European history which, when a "Maamtrasna 'l'reatv." Military the truth ' becomes known, will make the horror and abonhnation ! This is a fine statesmen of the: world from ·China. to . phrase from the ~g'entleman who used the Peru, smile audibly when they 'ead of British army and navy to drive helpless the devotion of British Governments to Irish cottiers fro~ their ho.mes i~ the at-' justice, liberty, a.nd pure administration. tempt to prop ug:i the remains of feudal domination and,~; to break the national * * * spirit . of the Irish people . Mr. Balfour's chief ally was that great ~ * . * Liberal statesman, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, who was specially associated with The suffering _of Serbia and Belgium the second line of attack made on Parnell combined do : n~t ~mount to a tenth part when the resolute met.hod of Mr. Balfour of th_e ·injuries in1l.icted on Ireland during and the "Times" had failed. Mr. Bal- · a century of English government . These four, who knows how to use the particu- sufferings have come· through war. Irelar piece of humibug that happens ~o be land's sufferings have been inflicted m

•

time of peace, on an unarmed people. Which is the greater crime against civilisation? In a fertile . country, well able, according to a recent Unionist authority, to support in comfort fifteen millions of people, the population within two generations has been reduced from eight and a half millions to half that number. And the process is still going on. Our agriculture wiped out-not in war, but none the less thro·u gh potential war, through the domination of brute force.

"There was a fantastic conception jn Germany of what was called the 'Superman,'" said Mr. Balfour, "a. monster of aggressive egotism." May it be sug-g'Bswd that a ·somewhat similar conception was invented by Mr. Balfour's compatriot, Thomas Carlyle, author of aJJ.other . famou~ prescription for Ireland's cure - " Squelch · them, by Heavens, squelch them!" "While the conception of the Superman was merely absurd, it was th_e idea of their Superman which had brought civilisation into the peril in which )it now '• stood. It was the Superstate with which we had to deal. ' Was it not essential that we should come to ~n understanding as to how international relations were to be conducted? '' Mr. Balfour's question is calculated to make Irishmen listen to what follows. "Were the powerful always going to trample on the weak?" Herei we drop the apostle of resolute government, the statesman who has recently developed an elaborate argument to prove to Englishmen, who, of coui·se, don't believe in Supermen or Super-states, that Ireland should not be allowed national freedom because, in Mr. Balfour's opinion, Ireland is nationally weak and Englan·d . is na.t ionally strong. He who .did not brea.k the. bruised reed or quench the smoking flax used terrible language towards one class of men, terrible· ~nd prophetic, when he proclaimed : "Woe to you, hypocrites !" ·

Mr. Balfour at Bristol was followed by Mr. Brace, M.P., a W elsh labour representative . Mr. Brace "declared ' they were not there for the. belittling of what

2 was best in the German character, but they were fi ghting for the sanctity of international law and the right of small nations to work out their own destiny by their own efforts." I£ Mr. Brace sincerely tl 1inks that there is a duty to go to w:tr in defenc e of this right, he need not go to far foreign fields from Dun- · kirk to Delgracle . He has taken his stand beside a man 'vho denies the right of one small nation, which England c.ontrols, to ''ork out it own destiny, and he supports a system of government that stifles every Irish effort . Take the beam out of your own eye, dear Englishman, before you cast t he mote of your brother •reuton's. There is a hand on our t hroat. When it is taken off, it will be time ('rnrngh for us to become eloquent about the wrongs of others. Eorn ~!Ac N EIJ,L.

THE IRISH VOLUNTEER.

Saturday, December 19, 1914.

was altogether lacking in unity . The wings of the Allied army were resisted stubbornly and only made indifferent progress, but the centre-the Engilsh under the Duke of York-made good III. headway. However, the French centre, W e have seen that at the beginning of fa lling back before them, was gradually the campaigns of the French R evolution succoured by reinfo~·cements from the the French were inferior to their antago- flanks falling upon York' s column, which was thus atta ck ed on three fronts . As nists in every military quality but onethey could outmarch them and only that. the French had a three to one advantage But this single point of superiority the English were entirely routed, whereproved unavailing by itself for various upon the two wings fell back in conreasons. First of al,l, the capacity was fusion. lacking in the commanders to use the So far the interest has been merely marching power of their men for the pur- historical, but the main thing is the pose of est ablishing a big numerical lesson contained in the historical events . superiority at a particular point : and It is easy enough to start off with troops secondly, even if that superiority was by wbo are better marchers-singly or in accident established the qua1ity of the bodies- than t heir adversaries. It is troops themselves was so hopeless that further quite possible that these troops no excess of n\1mbers was of any avail. may be men of a naturally quicker and The well-trained Austrians and Prussians more warlike perception of all the general simply brushed them aside. conditions than those they march against . But the gradual hardening process to Also it is possible for the commanders which the raw French levies were sub- -with the lessons of the R evolutionary I n next week's issue of the IRISH jected in course of time rendered them wars before· them- to set to work to use VoL UNTEER we will start a series of sufficiently expert in the business ·of a these qualities. All that is needed, then, articles on the most important battles in soldier to win by weight of numb ers once for victory is a certain reasonable degree · Irish History. Each battle will be accom- that weight of numbers reached a certain of soldierly quality in the men thempanied by a map and an account of the point. It was ·no longer possible for selves. The cardinal thing is to realise strategy employed on both sides . The their enemies to beat any number what- that this necessary degree cani be! attained series will begin with the Battle of Castle- ever of them . And once their com- in time 0 f pe1ace by the1use o·f foresight. bar, and Humbert's Campaign in the manders grasped this fact they of course Consequently the victory that came to West, and will go on to deal with Vinegar exerted every possible endeavour to the French only by profiting from the Hill, Aughrim, Benburb, Antrim, the bring numerical superiority into play. lessolis of defeat is possible by having at Battle of the Boyne, Kinsale, New Ross, H ence, · if a French army possessed a the start a suffi ciently large force of Ballinahinch, OulaTt, Rath.mines, and the slight excess of numbers as a whole over fairly well trained' intelligent ·troops. Yellow Ford. an Austrian or English it was always Such men will be eager and willing to These articles are being specially pre- possible to leave the battle line weak at · make the necessary sacrifices in the way pared for the IRISH v OL UNTEER by writers certain points and accumulate an over- of the forced mar ches enta.iled an d be of wide experience, and will be of the whelming strength at one definite spot. good enough to win if their leaders give greatest interest and utmost value for all After this it was but a step to victory. them a suita b~e chance . Volunteers who wish to study the art of A.s illustrations, the instances of W attigIn view of the stress laid on Cyclist War as applie~ to the conditions existing nies and Tourconig will serve very well . Companies for the Irish V ol un teers .it is in Ireland. In October, 1793, Coburg, with an worth while to point out how effective Without a grasp of Military History Austrian army, was covering the siege they would prove in a well-roa.ded few men will a.ttain to any proficiency in of Maubeuge against a French army con- country like Ireland in concentrating tl1e ar't of War, and though the conditions centrating for its relief. The Austrians against a particular point. And .they of modern warfare di:ff.er in some respects occupied a woo<led line of heights with could be further used to increase the exfrom those of 1798 or 1641, the country the River Sambre on their right and the tent of victory by seizing points 011 the has not altered, and the strategy em:.. village of " Tattignies on their left. On line of retreat of a force in anticipation ployed would be equ ally applicable to the the 15th a general move was made against of its defeat . warfare of the future. In starting this the whole Austrian line and was repulsed . series, the Editor o:f the IRISH VOLUNTEER During the night the F'rench marched will be giving to men throughout Ireland 8,000 men from left to right, with the a work of real value, and it is hoped that result that next morning a vast supeno Irish Volunteer will fail to study the riority was concentrated opposite WatFOR whole· series. tignies, which was held · by only three IRISH MADE BOOTS regiments. 'rhe French carried the village by sheer weight of numbers, reWILLIAM FANAGAN pulsed all counter attacks, forced the re- AT POPULAR PRICES. U NDERTAKER tirement of Coburg and raised the siege. AND The train of events at Tourconig in NOW ON SALE. C .A.RR I A GE PR 0 PR I ET 0 R, May, 1794, vrns a little different in details THE RISE OF THE IRISH VOLUNTEER but .the fundamental idea was the same . 54 AUNGIER STREET, DUBLIN. MOVEMENT. The Allied army started west from Telephon-No 7 12. .A.n Address by T . .A.. Higgins, B.L., J.P. 'l'ournai to Lille on May 16, spread ·over The Price 1d. Wholesale-The Irish No.velty Stores, T WO Irish-Speaking Gentlemen oan have excel- a front of almost twenty miles. lent e.iicommoaa'.tion (partial board); modern advance of their several columns was 153 Divis Street, BELFAST. conveniences; Drumoondr a district. Replies "S," badly arranged and the entire movement Volunteer Office. Should be read by every Volunteer.

FRENCH REVOLUTIONARY ARMIES

I TWELVE IRISH BAITLES.

B. &

R. PAGE

Satmj:.ty, December 19, 1914.

l™EWAR

tHE IRISH VOLUNTEER.

As for as cau be judged the contending :umies iu the Western area of ·w ar are not in a. lJosition to enforce a. decisive result oue way or another . A slight gain for the Allies at one point is balanced by a simila1· gain for the Germm1s at another. 'l'hus the A.Hies report some success on the Y ser, aud on the other hand the Germans <.:laim to have beaten off a rather considerable French attack on their bridge over the Meuse in the St. Mihiel district . In Asia the British have pushed forward their forces from Basra. and seem to he consolidatin~" their position there. On the other lwucl the Turkish reports of 40,000 men near Aleppo :=J.nd Iskenderun seem to point towards heavy reinforcements destined for Egypt, where doubtless their biggest effort will be made . In the Caucasus it would seem as if the Turks were successful on both :flanks and the Russians were holding their own in the centre. 'l'he Turks are particularly active around Batum, the recent bombardment of which by the "Goeben" indicates that they mea.n to protect the land operations against the port by preventing aid from the sea. In Servia the Austrian advance from the West has met with a set-back, as was inevitable in such a difficult and mountainous country. rrhe Austrian Army from Belgrade has a much easier line of advance and a. re-adjustment of the Austrian front can be looked .for, which will bring the two armies into co-operation, and by using the northern (Belgrade) Army as an outfl.a.nking force all the Servian positions can be t urned and ·the general advance pushed forwa.r d speedily. 'l'he main centre of interest is for the

present in Poland . Here the central idea is the Russian attack on Cracow, and to understand the campaign it is necessary to realise the importance of that fortress and the means of its defence . :First and foremost Cracow is so situated by nature that before an invasion of Germany 01· 'Austria-Hungary is possible Cracow must be taken or at least isolated. Cracow is on the main line of i·ail way in Galicia to Przemysl and L emberg, and thus covers directly all the approaches to the int erior of the Allied Empires from the East arnl is, besides, on the flank of the direct . Warsaw-Vienna line by Oderberg. More~ over Cracow is so close to the Carp<ithians on its southern side that no passage exists that way. In other words, an Austro~ Germau Army with its right :fl.tlnk at Cracow cannot be turned on the Tight, where it is most desirable to achieve a. success . North of Cracow the line extends to Czenstochan, thut> coveriug complet ely all the rest of th e :railway lines : and all the country in between is now occupied by

powerfu1 works . Now the natural import- problems involved it appears as if he ance of Cracow is merely accentuated by should be able to at least hold the Rusthe necessity of possessing or isolating it sians to evens indefinitely . It is, indeed, for the sake of what it covers . 1.'here is well on the cards that his present great only one route into Germany-down the counter-stroke ma.y meet with a very pronounced success, in which case the Rusvalley of the Oder, and one into Austria.must begin all over again. sians clown the Gran-vVaag valley . On sea, of course, tlie main operation It is now easy to see why the R ussians is the victory of the British off the FaU are trying so hard to beat the Austro land Islands, in which Admiral Gra.f von Germans round Cracow- for if they Spee's fleet that was victorious in the merely chive them off from around Pacific :fight off Coronel, was destroyedCracow they have two intact armies to the only ship to escape being the little deal with, one on each flank. I n that "Di·esden ." . Very meagre details are case a decisive offensive could not be to hand,_ but the Germans seem to pursued against Germany until Austria have made a. long i·unni:hg :fight, as the ·was beaten: and the Austro-H unga.rian flagship, ': Scharnhorst.," sank only after Army would always directly cover Hunthree hours, and the "Gneisenau " and gary, its real fo untain of resources in "Leipzig" kept up the :fighting for two grain, horses, and largely in men: But it is Germany that R ussia must beat if hours more. New York reports m1111e the British ships as being of . the "Nat.al" she is to be of use to her Allies . class, and, of course, four such ships One wa,y with another R ussia has only made victory certain, as the Germans two points of strength- vast numbers and could only count on the " Scharnhmst" a general resolute enough to employ them and "Gneisenau" as effective, the others without being perturbed by the counting being unarmourecl . Even the two of losses . Of course, now and for a good armoured German ships were out-gunned while past the Russians have greatly outby the British ships individually. Von number ed their enemies; for in equal Spee' s fate was inevitable sooner or later, numbers they ·are neit her quite so good as the Austrians nor anything like a match but he went far towards building up for the Germans . The Germans ha.v e th e traditions for the German Navy in future further advantage of the one really great wars. Gen eral the war has produced on either side- Von H indenburg. It is interesting DUBLIN REGIME NT. to follow the design of Von H indenburg to meet the Russian attack on Cracow. 2nd Battalion' Arran.ge me~nts. As we have seen, on t he CzenstochanIt is earnestly requested that all officers Cracow line the A ustro-Germans hold a and section commanders of above batstrong defensive line. H ere they a.re t alion attend at 41 Kildare Street on holding the main Russian Army with a Friday evening next, 18th inst., at 8 o'c. greatly inferior force, thus setting free sharp, for study of tactics, etc . large forces for their counter-stroke to the North near Lo dz and Lowicz. In be"C " Company, 2nd Battalion. tween, in the Petrikan r egion, strong atIt is earnestly r equested that all memtacks are being made to prevent the Rus- bers of above Company attend punctually sians reinforcing their thr eaten ed right at drill. The Company is now in a very flank. The main German effort is up to for ward state and the loss of a single the present making very . good progress, drill will tell against a man. Punctu.;tlity being some dozen or so miles in advance and attentiou to trainiug ought to be disof Loclz, aitd the R ussians round Cracow tinguishill g traits of all V ol un teers, and are at a standstill. . 1.'he Austrians-or · everyone ought to make a point of being rnther Hungarians- ar e making a subpresent :.it all drills . sidiary counter-stroke so.n th-east of Cracow in the Carpathians. I n this region also the R ussians are i·eported to be fallVOLUNTEERS ing back through the imsses . We have a splendid assortment of rare Prints It is very unlikely that the R ussians at a cheap rate-Emmet, Tone, l\i'Ci·ackeni and will be able to increase their present numero us others . We ~tock Volunteer Badges. We supply large numerical strength . rl'heir best will p1:0- Por t r aits for H ome, Hall, or Club, of Messr s. Redmond, Devlin, Dillon, Davitt, etc. Irish bably be to maintain their armies at their Liter atur e of all kin ds. Lives of Emmet, Wolfe pr esent strength, and this they will be Tone. Speeqhes from t he Dock, et c. able to do .for some time yet. But it is THE IRISH NOVELTY STORES, 153 Div is Street, BELFAST. hard to see what success will be possible fJr mere numbers in the future that was 'P hone 603. not possible before. Or, to put it other- PRI N TING. wise, th~:e is no convincing proof J:.tat Ask me to quote you for JTield-Marshall vou H indenbur g need ever any t hing in the Printing Line. Esti mates free. su:ffel' a.n overpowering defeat. vVith better sta:ff ana.ngements , bettc· r commuPATRICK MAHON General Printer, nications, better troops; and a more com~ 3 YARNHALL STREET, DUBL I N. plete intellectual ma:: tery d the military (Prin t er of this P aper .)

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The Irish Volunteer. DUBLIN, DECEMBER 19, 1914.

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The Central Executive of .the Irish Volunteers met at Headquarters on Saturday, 5th inst. Professor Mac Neill, President, in the chair. - 'fhe recommendations of the Committee of Milital'y 0l'ganisation as to the appointment of a Headquarters Staff and as to the Military Organisation of the company and the battalion ·w ere approved of and sent forward to the General Council. The General Council :P,eld its first meetiu g at H ea dquarters on Sunday 6th inst. , the President in the chair. The Executive r ecommendations as to a Headquarters Staff and as to the Military Or~·anisation of the company and the

Satul'<lay, December 19, 1914. battalion were ratified, and a. Headquarters Staff, comprising a Director of the Staff and Directors of Organisation, I\'I:ilitary Operations, Training, '.l'ransport and Communications, and Ordnance, were appointed. Steps were t ak en to promote a system of Mutual Insurance for the protection of V ol un teers. The Central Executive met at Headquarters on Wednesday evening 9th inst. , Mr. P. H . Pearse in the chair. The following General Orders were issued:GENERAL ORDERS. SPECIAL SECTIONS. l. E:very Company Commander is, as soon as possible, to constitute the following, Special Sections in the Company :(a) A Section of Cycle Scouts, including two Despa.tch Riders, under a Scout Commander. (1) A '.l'ransport and Supply Section. (c) An Ambulance Section . Every Company Commander is further to appoint a Company Armourer, a Company Signaller, 4 Sect.ion Signalle1:s, and 4 Section Pioneers. 2. When a Company is a.t full strength the Section of Cycle Scouts will normally consist 0£ 16 men, including the Scout Commander; the Transport and Supply Section of 4 men (one being. in command), with a waggon or two pack animals; the Ambulance Section of 8 men (one being in command) . 3. When the Company . is below full strength, the Company Commander will use his discretion as to the strength of SPECIAL SECTIONS, but he will always endeavour to h av.e each of the prescribed arms of the service represented in the C_?mpany . SPECIAL REGULATIONS AS TO TRAINING. 4. While the members of the Special Sections are to be specially trained for their special duties, all members of the Company are to .be trained as riflemen and as scouts . 5. The Scout Commander is to be re sponsible to the Company Commander for the efficiency of the Section of Cycle Scouts and also of the general scouting of the Company. 6. In addition to the Cycle Scouts, as many members of the Company as possible are to be mounted on cycles, and men so mounted are to be placed in sections together. 7 . A member of each Company is to be trained as Instructor in Musketry. NO'l'ES FROM lIEADQUAR'l'ERS . AFFILIATION :FEES. Company '.l'reasurers are reminded that the December a:ffi.liation fees are now due and should be forwarded immediately. In several cases the November affiliations also remain due: this indicates slackness on the part of 'l l'easurers and should be attended to at once . 1

Saturd.a.y , December 19, 1914. THE HEADQUARTERS ' STAFF .

THE !RI SH V OLUNTEER .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

at~:t,1· 1

WfffDE WE t'TAHD !IND WH"T Wf ~Jli ND fOR.

. 'l'he Headquarters' Staff is now work and is rapidly getting into touch ., i\ J 11 R R ft ~ II ~ith~ecompan~sandb a ttalions. Com· ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ BY A. NEWMAN, Autho r of " The Pessimist,' ' etc. pany and Battalion Commanders will much facilitate their work by attending 'l'he Irish v ·ohmteers have, as a body, k ept , as they marched unhindered for promptly to all communications . It is been put to a severe test. They have many days, the object of their journ e3~ the business of every Company to keep survived two shocks; it remains for them before them, ho'" could they avoid in the closest possible touch with Head- to survive the test of time, which, after disaster and depression and desertion quarters, and offi.eers should be faithful all, is the severest test of all. from their ranks? and punctual in attending to all orders, 'l'he two shocks to which I refer are '11his is a parable, a poor one at best; inquiries, and communications sent olit the · war and the split. The war camQ but there is truth in every word of it as by the Staff . It must be made possible upon the Volunteer movement, as it came applied to ourselves at this moment. for the Staff to know exactly the where- upon everybody else, as an avalanche. Our second shock was the split. That abouts, strength, armament and efficiency It bmied the righteous and healthy fury is over and done with . Let us forget it. of every corps in Ireland. In a Vohm- which the Bachelor's \ Valk murders had We must remember our object. There teer organisation such a linking up and provoked in Irebnd, and it dema.nded, on are men calling themselves Irishmen closeness of touch can be effected only the part of the Volunteers, a deliberate who , possibly from the best. motives, beby the heartiest mutual co-operation, and and fearless statement ·1·egarding their lieve that it is wiser to put partv before this we bespeak for the effort now being position with relation to the British principle, "·ho b~lieve that they can made to put the Irish Volunteers on an Army . '.l'hat statement had to be made. serve Ireland' s cause, as they un derc:ffectiYe military basis. It was made by pen and tongue . But it stand Ireland's cause, in the ran ks of a · was made; and nothing more n eed be political body that is pledged to a policy SPECIAL SECTIONS IK THE CoMI'ANY. said . which, to put it mildly, is at varianoe 'l 'he important series of General Orders It was quite inevitable that the sidewith the principles of their country's issued at the last meeting of the Executracking of the actual effort of the Volunheroes. '1.'heir motto is something more tive aims at putting into immediate teer leaders should so provoke the A1'l11y than "Your country needs you." And effect t he pr ovisions of the scheme of authorities as to lead to the suppression yet, in my h eart I believe that many of Military Or ganisation adopted by the 1 of our N atioual newspapers. '1 he risk these men are honestly intent on serving General Council, as far as those provi1 had to be taken . It was taken. And \Ve Ireland. '1 hey are the National Volunsions affect the internal organisation of 1 can calmly consider that our duty as teer s. '1.'hey are willing to trust men t he Company . '1 hey lay down that every publicists is at an end ; and that t he who have failed to gain even the meagre Company is t o have its own Transport and suppression came a.fter all e. : lfective work meas ure. of liberty called Home Rule. Supply Section, and its own Ambulance had been accomplished. 'l'he episode is They trust men. who have . allowed the Section, as well, of course, as its own over; nnd \ ·e must . pass on to begin principle of a divided Ire1a:rid"1 o ' eco~e Cyele Scouts, P ioneers, and Signallers . 'l 'he st rength of these special sections in where we left the beaten track of Ire- a constit utional possibility. Yet they an ideal Company of 100 men is specified, land's progress in the formatio n of h er stand for something as precious and Army. · valuable to Irishmen as their life, that. but Company Commanders who are below National 1 '1 0 my mind it is necessary that the is, t he right of Ireland to a National full strentgh are allowed ample discreoriginal manifesto of the Irish Volun- Army of her own- the right of freemen t ion to r educe t he st rength of the special teer$ which like a trumpet called Erin's to bear arms . sections, provided always t hat t hey ensons to her standard, united as they had Many Volunteers made the dropping deavour to have all t he prescribed arms never been unite d since t he days of out of the r anks t hei r fo rm of protest. of t he service r epresented in the ComBrian-should be reprinted and brought They ha.ve obj ect ed to Mr. R edmond's pany. In practice it may be fo und adbefore the eyes ofthe people again. 'l'he recent policy, and they have silently opvisable t o keep, say, eight .of the cycle Volunteers themselves should rea d it a,nd ject ed. But let them know that we, as scouts together and distribute the remaintheir memories . '1 hey have been Irish Vol uuteers, invite them to joiu refresh ing eight th:i:ough t he sections. The indeed. They are like an army with us, \vith men 'vho have all to lose t ested, Pioneer s, aga.in, may be k ept together or which starts upon a crusade to liberate and naught to gain for ourselves . And act in sections . One Signaller will nor some holy place from t he forces of a if they will not come to us, let them mally be attached to each section, and hostile and unappreciative power . This k now t ha.t we urge them to be Volunteer s one- the Company Signaller- will be army, let us · s,uppose, would make its of some sort , r ather than notl1ing at all. attach ed to t h e Company Commander for journey through strange lands, meeting Ireland suffers loss through every man special duty, 1 new conditions, ,fight ing ba. t tles to mainwho drops out of the ranks of the '1 he most suitable men in the Comtain its integrity with t he peoples Volunteers ! Ireland gains through pany, even if t hey be officers or Section through whose territory it passed ; and every man who rejoins his Company in Commander s, will be selected.as armourer fi ght ing and struggling along so vigort he National Volunteer s! But let me and m usk etry instructor. On. t h e whole, ously that at last it might possibly forsay a word to those who are National it will readily be understood that local et the object of its crusade in the actual Volunteers in fact or intention . It g circumstances m ust always be taken into dangers of the adventmes with which it is their duty as well as ours to consideration, and that the object to be was confronted. recollect the object for which the Irish aimed at is t he practical efficiency of the And then, we can picture the most Volunteer movement was ·started . That Company rather than its conformation to dangerous stage of all in t he crusade: the object was to arm the men of Ireland an ideal type . stage after the last necessary battle of not with gas-pipes but with proper rifles t he. journey has been fought, when before an d with ammunition . All rifles are ST. STErHEN'S NIGHT. the crusaders lies a long empty plain, equally useful without ammunition! over which it may ta.ke years to pass, 'rhey simply become so many pieces of before they actua lly undertake to libel'ate metal and ,,·ooch·ork, and rather a Comm encing at 9 o'clock, the holy place for love of which they nuisance at that. But a good rifle and a ST. KEVIN B~ANCH GAELIC LEAGUE, first set out. good cartridge is t he badge of a free and At Branch Rooms, 6 Harcourt St. Unless as a body of crusaders t hey fearl es~ patriot . Tiet National Volun~ Sl~GLE · 1/6. DOUBLE 2/6 1

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THE

6 teers be s~tisfied with nothing less . L et them get the rifles ancl the ammunition from their lE'uders; and if their leaders refuse their demand th ey can then make a clear choice beb rnen serving Ireland as so many voting macbin~s while the unconstitutional Ulster movement opposes them, or serving Ireland as armed soldiers in our ranks . 'l 'he Irish Volunteers stand for a properly armed and efficient body of pQtriot s; and the Insh Volunteers are pledged to maintain the dignity und secure the freedom of Ireland . They regard the possible struggle for the mutilated corpse of Home Rule as a. mere episode in the journey to the holy place of Ireland's liberty. 'l'heir duty is to be men an d obedient soldiers, and to let no man make them afraid. I read again to -day, on the Parnell monument, those words which are so sadly in need or remembrance a.t this most critical time : "No man ca.n set bounds to the onward march 0f a. nation." I And to our friends and our foes I say, in the name of the Irish Volunteers : "No man should set bounds to the onward march of the Irish Volunteers!" ·

THE PESSIMIST : ACONFESSION. By A. NEWMAN . ·The nature of this work may be judged by a sentence from t.he· author's apology : "Had John (The Pessimist) been an Englishman he would have t alked, and done nothing ve.ry. terrible; but as he was an Irishman he talked a great deal about things in general, and did the most t errible thing that could possibly be done. In one respect he may be considered typical of the Irishman who possesses the alien culture of Oxford or Cambridge, but whose nature prevents his conforming to the type ." " The Month,'' in the course of a review, says: " It is a book which is the product of profound thinking, and itself demands and challenges thought. . . . The whole idea-the gradual r ecognition of a highly intellectual and deeply sensitive man of the divine purpose underlying

the appa1·ent chaotic scheme of tll.iugs- is developed by conversations, many of them brilliant, wherein current convictions are questioned and analysed with a boldness that makes one pause to reconsider their foundations, and by a skilful use of the ' dramatis persome ' the author manages to ventilate every sille. It is a book which many people will want to read t wice." (1914 Edition, price· 6/-.) LONDON: DAVID NUT'!'. And all Booksellers.

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acc ura te sli.ootillg OH th e one h::md, arn1 d lic.ieut use of coYel' on the other will bo the dc0idin g factor s . 'l'he defenders 11·ill have 1 t wo oLJ"ect. · :• ( 1. ) 'l'o weal' tl y;:- :1 the euemy" s ifriug line , a ud che!"I>: its ~. t1 v <m co . (2. ) To d.1i.Yc it t>aek, aud so comyd the e'iieilly w n se l! iS local reserves. To acb "lYe t hese objects, local commanders '' ]l tr:r to establish local fire sup erio ;.·~'.. :·. nrnl then deliver eo uui:er attacks vu ·lrnsupportecl varts of th e foiug li11e. 'l'hese local atta.cks must ii ot Le made ou strong' points, n-or must they be follcwedl up too far. This last .point is importan t. Men must n ot get out of h and as a. r esult of u sm::i ll local success . 'l'h e original firing i.i.ue, of course, mu. t not be used i]) uch atta:·ks. Th ey wil.1 be needed to s u1)port. them by e11fibl1i11g fire from their trenches. Local reserves will not be used to reinforce the firing line. 'l'he men in the firing line must understand that if their line is pierced, the- enemy will be repelled by a local counter attack from the reserves, not by strengthening the original line. The casualties in the fi#ng line will, of course, he replaced from the supports. When the enemy finally is in a position to assault, rifle· and artillery fire must not be spared, and fire positions must, if necessary, be occupied. Firing will be kept up as long as possible, but the troops will not ;,emain in their trenches for the fina l assault. They will fix bayonets and chQrge forward to meet it. 1

P 1rnPARATION .

L et us revea t once again what has oHeu been said befor e, that attack is the surest fo1w of defenc e. In other "·ords, a commander 11·ho has to hold a. position will n ever 0ontent himself with sitting tight in his entrenchments, but will alway s endeavour to embarrass the enemy ' s at tacks by counter attacks . H e must, therefore, see that the fro ntage h e occupies should not be so great as to require more than ha.1£ his force to defend it, t he other half being in reserve fo r the pur pose of ultimately seeming a comvlete victory by taking the o:ffensive . As this article concerns ma.inly the 0onduct of tr'oops we shall not say any thing about the choice of position, except that it should be one which leaves a, good field of fire for the enemy to advance over . A party will be sent to clear this ground of shrubs, trees, or other cover, while a screen of scouts, both cavalry and infantry, will be thrown out far in advance . Meanwhile, the other troops will be engaged in digging entrenchments-a subject which will require a separate article-and in strengthening the position generally. It should be remembered that the stronger the position can be made, the more men can be spared for the general reserve, thel'eby rendering the final attack more decisive. If the line is extensive it will be divided into sections; each with its own firing line, supports, and local reserves. 'l'he supports may number from one-fifth to half the firing line, and the local reserves will equal the combined strength of supports and firing line. The machine-gun sec·tion will trniu their g uns to sweep open spaces that must be crossed by the enemy. PitELIM:INARY ACTION .

'l'he enemy will seldom make his attack at all points at once, and it is necessary for the scouts to ascertain where he is strongest and most likely to deliver it. The scouts, huv_ing done their work, are ·withdru,,-iJ., und while the ~tta ck is still developing, it will be hanassed by a thin firing line of ski:wishers . 'I'hese men must not let themselves get chawn into the o:ffensive. 'I'he remainder of the troops will k eep in 0ove1· until the attack develops, when a heavy fire will b e opened to prevent the en emy establishing himself within range. This will be effected by straight firing from the front assist ed by enfilading fire from flankin g parties. MA.IN AcTIOJS .

The action will now probably develop into a struggle for fi;re supremacy, where

THE COUNTER ATTACK.

· The most favourable moment for the counter attack is when the enemy has exhausted his reserves in trying to storm the trenches. No hard and fast rule, however, can be laid down . The attack may take the form of breaking the enemy's centre, or morn usually of turning one flank and so threatening his retreat. · 'l'he ·advance will be conducted iu the usual manner , but obviously -will have little preparation. Not only the gen~ral reserve, but the whole force, will Le ut ilised iu this last decisive movement to destroy the enemy . A FEw Wo1ms TO INFANTRYMEN. 1. When you're not advancing lie down and take eover . If there ' s lLO cover, make some . P ile a few sto11es togethfr, or turn up a few ·sods with your pike or ba.y onet . 2 . Don't waste ammunitio11. Take youi: nrngc, adjust your sights, mark your man, und ai1n at the lower part of his body . 3 . . A soldier and his rifle are llever parted. Don't throw it over a wall am1 climb after it. Take it with you . -±. Don' t lose your head at a slight sue;cess . E:eeJJ your ears open fo r the officer1s whistle. 5. l£ you feel the battle going against

Saturday, December 19, 1914 .

THE IRllH VOLUNTEER.

you, don' t lose heart. Your comrades are probably winning at an0ther point, and if you give way yo'u may spoil their success. Besides, you have reserves behind you, and more reserves behind them. Fight on till t hey come to your help. - - -

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THE IRISH VOLUNTEER.

Saturday, December 19, 1914.

A .P.H .R., in "The Christmas Carol The formation of the Fianna Cadet Corps was one of the most practical and Singers," relates an amusing escapade of necessary acts of the Dublin ·Military four members of the Dublin .Fianna. The Council. Up to the present the lectures dialogue is characteristic, as, for inin strategy, tactics, and musketry have stance: ~ been most interesting . By the summer it " Oh," said Wal pole, 1Ye were inst thinking; is hoped the cadets will be sufficiently of annoying the aristocracy of Rathmines and trained to pass the tests for officerships ·neighbourhood. Go carol-singin g; you know-who do you think ?" · in the Dublin Battalion. The lectures " Such a question, I could never think . I are not confined to the present Fianna could always do the ballad singer, but I never members. Boys between fifteen and sang in the street yet, but if there's going to eighteen years of age are invited to be sport, ,I' m with you, and I'm sure I can get attend. Applications must be made to lVIac to come along too." " As sure as you're into it, so sure am I out Headquarters, 12 D'Olier Street. of it," said Patsy. "I don't want to be laughed

at." "Cowardly as usual,'' said W alpole.

There has been a great rush on the sale of " N odlaig Na bhFia.nn " (The Fianna Christmas) . It has received a rather mixed :reception in the Fianna . Amongst the opinions I have solicited I find a strong critique by Captain Padraic O'Riain. He writes as follows:The most heartening thing about '' N-0dla.ig Na bhFiann '' is the pluck and enterprise of :its sta:ff. The credit of producing the first Fianna paper rests with Percy Reynolds ap.d Patsy O'ConIJ.Or . '' Those lads,'' said a shrewd Dublin business man, "would tackle anything," and to show his admiration he gave .t hem a substantial advertisement. The paper, I am told, is a.financial success. In other respects it is a h'uge disappointment:

It is the most unboyish boys' paper I have .ever seen. I am at a loss to understand why the two stories in the paper deal with incidents not in any way connected with the Fianna or with Ireland. Surely the numerous wars in this country afford young a.uthors plenty of scope for boys' stories. 'l'hrilling yarns might be written around Pu:tnam McCabe, Willie Nelson, or the R apparees.

Five illustrations by Miss Grace Gifford accompany th is article, two of which a.re almost vulgar.

There are two rather heavy articles by Mr. James Connolly and Bulmer Hobson. Neither are very interesting. The chief merit of both is that they are brief. -There - are three- poems in the paper- ( 'To a Statesman," by 1E ; "On. the formation of the Donegal Volunteers," by Seumas O'Sullivan; and "The Fortress of Boyhood,'' by Maeve Cavanagh . The first has been set by the printer in a form that ma.ke&.it peculiarly difficult to read. The subject matter incorporated might have made an epic, and the result of crowding it all info twenty-two lines is a congestion rather than a poem. The idea in Seumas O'Sullivan's poem is excellent, but it reminds one of George Moore's account of a joke which was attempted by ·w. 'B. Yeates on a certain occasion . " It got lost in the folds of his style." The last, by Maeve Cavanagh, is one 0£ her best. I think it is the most appropriate of the three for a Fianna paper . 'With this essa.y in ill-humoured criticism dismiss 'the poets. I

'"ill

Col. Moore gives the ~ianna a wonl of ad,:ice . It is inteTesting and makes one think . I have not made up my owu mit.d wheth er I will follow the Colonel's advice. I think it is better postponed till after the war. Countess :M:arkievicz relates "How the li'ianna, was shuted ." 'l'his article occupies two pages of the paper. Many incidents related are very amusing and made me wish Madame would continue to relate many of her exciting experiences after the formation of the Fianna in Camden Street. A portrait of the President, beautifully. printed n art paper, is issued as a.supplement. The 'other features of "N odlaig na bhF'i~nn '' include a full-page cartoon by Miss Grace Gifford, jokes and illustrations by E. K., and an account of the part taken by the Fianna in the Howth gun-running, told by Corporal Willie Nelson, entitled "Sealed Orders." For the edification of this budding Corporal I quote the bardic conception of Cuchulain, Ireland's greatest boy hero :" He spake not a boasting word Nor vaunted he at all, Though marvellous were his deeds."

Excepting the title there is not a line of lrish in the ,paper." This ends t,li:e Captain's invective against all and sundry. Next week I will comment myself on the paper ·.and the Captain's"'critique.

w ILLIE

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