File No. 763.72/421
The Consul at Cork (Queenstown), Ireland (Frost), to the Secretary of State
Cork, July 31, 1914.
[Received August 14.]
No. 13]
I have the honor to transmit herewith in triplicate a report entitled, “Military and naval activity in the south of Ireland,” with a triplicate enclosure issued by the British Admiralty transferring Queenstown Harbor to military authority.1 As the essential facts in this connection will undoubtedly form a part of press despatches to America, and as no American vessels call here ordinarily (except such steamers as will be notified by their companies) I have not thought fit to cable the Department. This despatch may be regarded as a partial response to Consular Instruction No. 300, of April 27, 1914.1 Urgency to catch transatlantic mails has prevented a more thorough report at this time.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure]
MILITARY AND NAVAL ACTIVITY IN THE SOUTH OF IRELAND CONSUL WESLEY FROST, CORK (QUEENSTOWN)
Naval activity has been pronounced in this region for some months in connection with the prevention of the landing of arms for the Nationalist Volunteers and other irregular armed forces. By royal proclamation of December 1913, “gun-running” was prohibited, and since that time the Irish coastal waters have been patrolled incessantly by naval vessels. Queenstown is the seat of the British Admiralty for Ireland, and ordinarily eight cruisers are stationed here, partly used as training-ships for raw recruits. Four torpedo-boats are also here regularly, and scout cruisers, or mine-sweepers (official designation), appear frequently. Among the vessels either stationed here regularly or appearing here occasionally are the following: Endymion, Grafton, Diamond, Theseus, Gibraltar, Falmouth, Hawk, Thunderer, Orion, Monarch, and Conqueror. The cruisers are second or third class, I think, without exception.
The police duty in connection with “gun-running” has kept the harbor virtually empty of these vessels for several weeks past, rarely more than one or two being seen, where formerly there were from five to ten regularly anchored. The Admiralty repair docks for Ireland are located at Haulbowline Island in the harbor, employing from 1,200 to 1,300 men. The recent naval mobilization at Cowes and Southampton drew a proportion of vessels from Queenstown, also. As to the prevention of the landing of arms it is to be noted that in spite of the officious zeal of the naval vessels, daily “gun-running” coups are credibly reported. In fact during the past two days the newspapers have contained accounts of at least eight separate landings of artillery or ammunition. The success of this contravention of the proclamation is interpreted not as an impeachment of the efficiency of the naval vessels, but as an evidence that the British Ministry are not really anxious to enforce the proclamation.
QUEENSTOWN (CORK HARBOR) UNDER MARTIAL LAW
The disquiet in connection with the Irish troubles, however, has suddenly been rendered inconspicuous by the international situation arising from the Austro-Servian War. On yesterday, July 30, 1914, the Admiralty took over the harbor of Queenstown (Cork Harbor), with all its approaches and numerous ramifications, from the civil authorities, the Lord Mayor of Cork and his harbor commissioners. The royal troops throughout this consular district are being shifted very radically and actively, and the reserves in some lines of the service have undoubtedly been called out. The newspapers have been urgently requested by the military and naval authorities not to publish news of military movements, etc., without first obtaining official authentication.
The summer encampments of regular troops in the district around Fermoy and Mitchelstown in County Cork have been during the past two days broken up with the utmost celerity. The regiments stationed there included the South Staffordshires, York and Lancasters, Royal Fusiliers, Rifle Brigade, the 12th, 33d, and 38th Companies of the Royal Engineers, and companies or corps of the Army Service Corps and the College of Surgeons Training Corps. The troops usually stationed at Limerick were hastily recalled to that city. Troops have been sent to Valentia Island, County Kerry, and to Kinsale, County Cork. All along the south and west coast the Coast-Guards have been called to Chatham (on the Thames, England), their places being taken by Royal Irish Constabulary or pensioners. A number of trainloads of troops have been dispatched toward Dublin. A contingent of several companies has come to Queenstown to reinforce Forts Carlisle and Camden at the Harbor entrance, and also in garrison for Spike Island.
Aside from Queenstown the chief center on the southern coast is Castletown Berehaven, in Bantry Bay, County Cork, where Bere Island is fortified, and has during the past two days been reinforced with hundreds of troops, and by the presence of the warship Wyndham . Several hundred shells for the big guns there have been received, and special corps of electrical engineers for the searchlights and telegraphic apparatus are en route from London. It is considered that Berehaven will control and protect the transatlantic shipping in the event of a general European war. It should be noted by American naval authorities, however, that the popular opinion is here that in case Germany ever seeks to use Ireland as a base she will land at Killary Bay, between County Galway and County Mayo, which is unprotected in a naval sense but offers excellent harborage and easy control of railways to Dublin.
At Queenstown the searchlights on Forts Carlisle, Camden, and Westhaven have been kept playing over the approaches and harbor throughout the last two nights, and field equipment and ammunition is being deposited on all the little creeks and estuaries by tugs requisitioned from local steamship companies. The troops have been issued metal name discs, and books stating how they may make wills on the field of battle and other similar information, these discs and books not having been issued since the Boer War.
The martial control of Queenstown Harbor involves rigorous supervision of all traffic, as will be seen from the notice to mariners issued yesterday by Admiral Sir Charles Coke, senior naval officer on the coast of Ireland, from the Admiralty House, Queenstown, of which copies are forwarded herewith.1 No movement of vessels whatever is permitted during fog or during the hours of official night, of which latter an elaborate table for every day of the year is included in the notice. Pilotage is compulsory for incoming vessels. An examining steamer is constantly stationed at the harbor entrance, flying a special flag, and naval patrol boats are policing the interior waters of the harbor, some of them requisitioned from the Clyde Shipping Company. Any of these boats is authorized to fire upon vessels disregarding their warnings or instructions. The White Star S. S. Cedric , which anchored in the harbor mouth at 8:15 a.m. this morning, was warned to retire and reapproach flying proper signals, but this instruction was waived. Every possible consideration will be shown to transatlantic liners. Just at this writing the City of Cork Steam Packet Company’s S. S. Inniscarra , 1,420 tons, has attempted to ignore the warning of the examining steamer, and has been brought to by a number of shots. She has been taken possession of by a force of marines, and is proceeding [Page 60] through the harbor under their charge. Notice has been given that the signal lights on Spit Light and Bar Rock are liable to be discontinued without further warning.
In official circles all this activity is taken to be primarily a precautionary measure to insure readiness in case of actual emergency, but secondarily (and of almost equal importance fan opportune demonstration of Britain’s efficiency in rapid mobilization, and in a measure a mere practice drill.