1 51 ROYAL AVENUE, BELFAST. 20th July 1916. Dear Sir Edward, There has been a good deal of underhand dirty work
going on here for a very considerable time past in the shape of attempts
being made by Unionists outside our district to create a feeling that
would be prejudicial to the arrangement for the exclusion of the six
Counties. I am glad to say, however, that the efforts have not been
successful and I think the business people and our working people are
more satisfied with the arrangement now after all the discussion that
has taken place than they were when the matter was origianlly put
before them. Amongst the Business community they have commenced to
appreciate thoroughly the advantages to be gained from getting an
arrangement now such as is proposed and they foresee pretty clearly
the risks connected with a postponement to the termination of the war.
Evidently what has happened vindicates thoroughly the course which you
adopted and the advice which you gave and the underhand work which has
been going on has to a very great extent removed the sympathy that
formerly existed. Major Saunderson's action is reprobated, while that
of the Monaghan people is adored and your treatment of the matter as
appearing in the Press is as usual diplomatic and able. There has been a good deal of talk recently emanating
principally from the South of retaliation on the part of the Southerners 2 against the North for consenting to the exclusion and this takes the
shape of something in the nature of a boycott through the Great Northern
Railway. About two-fifths of the Co's line would be outside
the excluded area, the three-fifths which is within the excluded
district is the more important but the idea is that if the Dublin
Parliament is to have control of the Railways within their district
they could by legislation so block and obstruct operations on the
Great Northern Line as to bring about what would practically be
tantamount to a blockade of the North. There have been several private meetings of leading
business men in relation to this matter and in the end I was asked to
go across and see you with the view of putting the position before you
to see if anything could be done in connection with the proposed Bill
that would obviate any risk of the adoption of such a procedure. I
do not know what is intended with regard to the Railways in Ireland
generally. I have gathered from the Newspapers that so far as the
Harbours are concerned they are to remain under Imperial control but
the Harbours remaining under Imperial control will be of very little
service if the Railways are not also kept under Imperial control for
a Harbour without a Railway is practically of no service beyond
shelter in bad weather. At the present all the Railways in Ireland 3 are subject to the Board of Trade but the arrangement with regard to
the Telegraph service is in Ireland different from what it is in England.
In Ireland the Postmaster owns all the wires and posts along the railway
and the Railway Coys. give him wayleave getting in exchange a free
telegraph service and that would be one very good reason for the
Imperial Government keeping the control at present of the railways as
well as the Harbours. If an Irish Government got control of the
railways and anything took place like what happened at Easter it is all
very well to say under the Defence of the Realm Act the Government could
take possession of the railways but the railways without those to work
them could be of very little service and I think there can be no doubt if
the Irish Government have control of the railways it will only be a
question of time and that a very short one before all the servants on
the railways would be practically nominees of one party. Of course if
the Railways are excepted from the jurisdiction of the Irish Parliament
and kept as they are subject to the Board of Trade the question of a
boycott or retaliation from the south is out of the question. I wired you this morning to know if you could have seen
me to-morrow or Saturday and it was to talk this matter over with you
I wanted to see you but I got your wire that you would be out of town. 4
I will be in London on Tuesday and if it would be convenient for you
to see me then I would arrange to call on you at any time you
appointed. Yours truly, Alex McDowell Sir Edward Carson, K. C. M. P. 5 Eaton Place, London S. W.