In face of these facts it would be absurd to deny that the troops were badly handled.  They suffered terribly from thirst, and the suffering was in large measure preventible.  The attack was a failure.  All the success achieved was the capture of Chocolate Hill, and the Irish claim that success.  It is disputed by other regiments.  This much is certain:  the Irish were part of the troops who carried the hill, and at nightfall, when the rest were withdrawn to the beach, the Irish were left holding it.

But they had paid dearly, and in the days which followed many more were sacrificed in the hopeless effort to retrieve what had been lost when the surprise attack failed.  The loss fell specially on a picked battalion, the 7th Dublins, which had grown up about a footballers’ company, the very flower of young Irish manhood.  Grief and indignation were universal when tales of what had happened began to come through.

But of all this Redmond said no word in public.  He threatened disclosure in debate at one period; yet on a strong representation from Mr. Tennant—­in whose friendliness, as in the Prime Minister’s, he had confidence—­he refrained.  To this abstention he added the most practical proof of good will.  Lord Wimborne, now Lord-Lieutenant, seriously concerned at the continued drop in recruiting, which had not shown any sign of recovery since the Coalition Government was formed, came to him with the proposal for a conference on the subject.  In pursuance of this suggestion Redmond went to London, where an interview took place between him and Lord Kitchener, Mr. Birrell and Mr. Tennant assisting.  Redmond put in a memorandum stating his complaints, and thrashed out the subject to satisfactory conclusions on all points that directly affected recruiting.  The conference ultimately met at the Viceregal Lodge on October 15th.  It included the Primate of All Ireland, Lord Londonderry, Lord Meath, Lord Powerscourt, Sir Nugent Everard, the O’Conor Don and Colonel Sharman Crawford, the Lord Mayors of Dublin, Belfast and Cork, and Redmond.  The military were represented by Major-General Friend, commanding the troops in Ireland, with whom Redmond always had the most cordial relations.

Only those who understand something of Irish tradition will realize how great a departure from established usage it was for Parnell’s lieutenant and successor to take part formally in a meeting at the Viceregal Lodge—­or indeed to cross its threshold for any purpose.  But Redmond always had the logic of his convictions.  As part of a compact, he was helping to the best of his power the Government which must carry on till Home Rule could come into operation; and here as elsewhere he was ready to mark his conviction that the enactment of Home Rule had made possible a complete change in his attitude.