1 Private. Enel. December 14th, 1915 My Dear Gulland, I have seen Ms. Peroy Harris's letter to you,
which I return herewith. The first suggestion, that, on enlistment under the Volun-
teer Act for Home Defence, the recruit should take an oath of
allegiance, is absolutely puerile. Every man, on enlistment,
makes the usual attestation, and, of course, this would apply
to all enlistments for Home Defence under the prepared Bill. The second preposal is preposterous, and I could not look
at it for a moment. The way the case stands at the present moment is this: Ever since the Territorial Acts were passed, from which
Ireland was excluded, it has been legal for the War Office to
enlist men in Great Britain for Home Defence only. The whole
Territorial Force was enlistedin, this way and such enlistments
were continued for a considerable time after the war commenced.
Since then, I understand, the War Office, in its discretion,
has ceased enlisting menfor Home Defence only. But it is within
their power, any time they like, legally to resume the practice 2 In Ireland, it is not, and never has been, legal to enlist
men for Home Defence only; and, if the provise asked for were
put into the Volunteer Bill, this disparity under which Ireland
suffers would continue, and I could not for a moment consent
to this. The Bill is merely a permissive one, and, under its oper-
ation, if it were passed to—morrow, the War Office might, if it
so chose, still abstain from enlistment for Home Defence in
Ireland, or might make any regulations they chose for such en-
listment. What I ask is, that the law as to enlistment for Home De-
fence xxxxxxxx should be the same in both countries, and I
am quite willing that it should be left absolutely at the dis-
cretion of the War Office as to what they should do in the mat-
ter of putting the law into operation. The statement attributed to Sir Edward Carson in the let-
ter you send me, that the Irish National Volunteers would use
the Bill as an excuse for shirking, is most offensive. The
best answer I can give you is to say that, at the present mo-
ment, according to the official figures supplied to me by the
Government, 28,072 Irish National Volunteers have already en-
listed, and that the number of Ulster Volunteers who have 3
enlisted is almost precisely the same, 28,327. The imputation that I am anxious to facilitate shirkers
is equally offensive. My object in getting this Bill exten-
ded to Ireland in the shape in which it left the Houseof Lords
is to promote enlistment, which the Military Authoritiesof the
Irish Command agree with me would result form a free enlistment
for Home Defence by our Volunteers, amongst whom the military
spirit would soon make itself felt when they were living under
military control in barrack or camp. Incidentally, their enlistment for Home Defence would re-
lieve some 20,000 regular soldiers form the defence work in
which they are engaged in Ireland. I cannot conceive that Sir Edward Carson will take the re-
sponsibility of defeating this Bill, which is so eagerly looked
for in England. But, whatever action he may take, you must understand
clearly from me that the Irish Party and I cannot consent to
suggest and the lines that were accepted by the Houseof Lords. I think it would be wise not to attempt to take up the
Bill until after the Christmas adjournment. But, if there is 4 any intention of taking it up before then, I hope you will give
me adequate notice, as it will be necessary for me to bring
over all the Membersof the Irish Party. Very truly yours, J. E. Redmond J.W. Gulland, Esq., M.P.