CHAPTER XVII.
ARMING THE U.V.F.
If the "evil-disposed persons" who so excited the fancy of Colonel Seely were supposed to be Ulster Loyalists, the whole story was an absurdity that did no credit to the Government's Intelligence in Ireland; and if there ever was any "information," such as the War Office alleged, it must have come from a source totally ignorant of Ulster psychology.
Raids on Government stores were never part of the Ulster programme.

The excitement of the Curragh Incident passed off without causing any sort of disturbance, and, as we have seen, the troops who were sent North received everywhere in Ulster a loyal welcome.

This was a fine tribute to the discipline and restraint of the people, and was a further proof of their confidence in their leaders.
Those leaders, it happened, were at that very moment taking measures to place arms in the hands of the U.V.F.without robbing Government depots or any one else.

That method was left to their opponents in Ireland at a later date, who adopted it on an extensive scale accompanied by systematic terrorism.

The Ulster plan was quite different.