Background to Issuing of
Order to Recruit ex-British Army personnel to RIC
Introduction from Chronology
Townshend says order issued on this day by the Inspector General's
office of the RIC which gave the authority to recruit non-Irishmen to the RIC
(but this order was probably not issued until December 27th).
Background
Townshend says that after Byrne's memo to Under Secretary McMahon on September
9th, General Shaw told IG Byrne that he could bolster the RIC by recruiting
ex-British Army detachments.
However, Byrne strenuously pointed out the problems with this proposal
with regard to discipline (see Oct-04-19/1). Townshend says that
"despite their cogency and prophetic accuracy, these objections were to be
overruled. Byrne's opposition was to cost him his job, and nearly to end his
career." (Townshend 1975, pg 30)
Townshend notes that even though Byrne was Inspector General at the time
when the order was issued, it was probably Smith (his Deputy) who signed the
order. However, Leeson says that the order was not issued until December 27th
by which time Smith had replaced Byrne. French had insisted that Byrne go on
leave for “the benefit of his health” and he installed Smith as
Acting Inspector General (see Nov-10-19/2). Byrne was a Catholic
while Smith was an Orangeman (Leeson (2012),
pg 24).
On December 30th, Llyod George wrote to Bonar Law saying
“It may, of course, very well be that the task in Ireland is a hopeless
one and that Byrne has simply the intelligence to recognise it”. He continued that he had thought him
“an able and intelligent man but [he] has always given me the impression
of an official overwhelmed with the hopelessness of his task” and
“until we are through with Home Rule [See Dec-22-19/1] a man of less
intelligence and more stolidity would be a more useful instrument to administer
the interregnum” (Townshend (2014), pg
103 and O’Halpin (1987), pgs
194-195).
See Mar-25-20/4.