A Short History of the Irish Volunteers

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ARMS PROCLAMATION WITHDRAWN.
171
similar episodes produced a corresponding activity
on the other side. It was a very curious fact that
while the nominated members fought bitterly to
secure rifles for their political supporters they never
asked for ammunition, without which the rifles were
perfectly useless. Their aim was to have rifles which
could be paraded at political meetings, and not the
arming of a National Defence Force. Men with rifles
but without ammunition are armed only in the eyes
of politicians, and we felt that wooden guns would
have been more easily procured, and would have
done them just as well.
The Committee met regularly, but its meetings
degenerated more and more into a wrangle between
the parties, and it did no work of real importance
as a Committee from the time that it was enlarged
at Mr. Redmond’s dictation. But outside the Com-
mittee the work of arming and training the Volun-
teers was pressed forward with energy.
Eoin MacNeill and O’Rahilly had charge of the
work of getting arms, while Colonel Maurice Moore
as Inspector-General had actual if not nominal con-
trol of training and organisation. Apart from the
more expensive and dramatic gun-running ventures
which I have described, much smuggling of small
consignments was carried on until --------- August,
when the Arms Proclamation—the legality of which
was extremely doubtful—was withdrawn by the
Government. From that date until the Novem-
ber following there was no legal obstacle placed by
the Government upon the entry of arms into Ire-

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