The Washington herald., 1917-09-02
by JOHN L. BALDERsToN.

BY JOHN Il. BALDERSTON.
tCopyright, 1911, hy the Mcclure Newspaper
syndicate.)
Dublin. Aug. LIN this supreme
hour OF Ireland's history. when upon
the deliberations of the convention
hangs a future of prosperity greater
than the country has ever known or
q return to medieval anarchy, counsels
of hope rather than despair seem to
be prevailing.
The writer has spent some days
sounding the leaders of the conven-
ton and of all the Irish factions. So
eager are all Irishmen that America
should understand and sympathlze
with them. that I found an unprece-
dented willingness to talk freely and
frankly on the part of Orangemen
and Nationalists, Sim Feiners and
English officials, literary and business
men who have kept aloof from poll
tics.
Since the convention met have dis
cussed the situation with Sir Horace
Plunkett, the chairman of the assem-
bly,, and Sir Francis Hopwood, its sec
retary, with H. Z. Duke, chief secre-
tary for Ireland, and Gen. Sir Bryan
Mahon, ommander-in-chief OF the
British forces here, and with scores
Of Irish political leaders. including
Lord Middleton, former British for
eiSn and war secretary and president
of the Southern Unionist Alliance; Sir
William Goulding, the Irish railway
king; Joseph Devlin, Nationalist leader
in Ulster: DR.. Mahaffy. provost of
Trinity College in Dublin, and many
others. Interviews were also obtained
from the leaders of the Sim Fein or
republican movement, which will be
discussed in a dispatch next week.
Campaign Unites Country.
There can be no doubt that the pres
sure of the Sim Fein campaign,
which is sweeping Ireland like
prairie fire and holds promise of
bloodshed and chaos il its aims are
not attained, is forcing together Ul-
stermen and Nationalists who them
selves were at swords points three
years ago.
Irishmen who are not Sim Feiners,
and Redmondites. Protest
ants and Catholics alike, are in the
main hopeful that a settlement of the
apparently insoluble Irish problem
will be reached. probably after
months of debate. by the convention.
the British government will
give effect to the decision OF the con-
vention, or whether the aroused and
feverish Irish people will accept the
result, are further problems whose is
sue no one can predict.
Opinion seems to be gravitating to-
ward the Dominion solution. The
rule OF secrecy adopted by the con-
which makes discussion of de-
tails of its proceedings an offense
punishable under the defence of the
realm act, prevents me from quoting
the high authorities who have ex-
pressed this view, but 1t may be said
that the adjournment of the conven-
ton. after a harmonious sitting of two
days, until August s, was taken be-
cause II was necessary to collect books
and documents which must be con-
suited by the committees appointed to
examine the proceedings of constitu-
tional conventions in the United States
and the British dominions.
Future Looks Bright.
This fact is itself an omen of good.
1t represents concessions on the part
of Ulster which even a few months
ago would have been unthinkable.
After the rules OF procedure have
been adopted, which may take much
OF this month, the convention will
appoint committees repre-
senting all shades of opinion in Ire
land, except the complete separation
view of the Sim Feiners, who de-
clined to take part excepting under
conditions that the British govern
ment was unable to grant.
These committees will bring in
plans for a settlement The number
of plans to be prepared will be not
less than twelve and it may be more.
These plans will all be laid before
the convention as a whole, and will
be debated. The convention will then
probably adjourn, Sir Francis Hop
wood, its secretary. believes, and the
various members will go back to
their constituencies and discuss with
their supporters their own favorite
scheme, the reception 1t met with in
the convention, and the details of the
other eleven or more solutions pro-
posed.
When the convention reassembles
after the adjournment, it is antici-
pated that the critical point will be
reached. An attempt must be made
to produce from the dozen conflicting
schemes, ranging from the status quo
to an approach to independence, a
plan to which all factions will agree.
By a gradual process of compro-
mise, 1t is hoped that some plans
will be discarded and their support
ers won over to other more popular
schemes. until finally the convention
will come together. After an agree
ment has Professionally been reach
ed, the convention will again ad-
journ. This stage, IL the convention
ever reaches IL, Is not expected be-
fore winter, and bets have been re-
corded in Dublin by men who are
Of success that the conven-
tion will last as long as the war. A
short convention means a failure.
VIII Go Before People.
Again the delegates will go back to
the people, and explain from the, plat
form the suggested settlement before
they return to Dublin to vote. in their
knowledge of popular opinion on the
for or against the final plan.
The reason why the dominion settle
ment seems most likely is because it
appears to represent the only solution
that can reconcile the refusal Of Ulster
to be placed under the control of
Southern Ireland with the refusal of
the Southern Irish to agree to a par
tition.
Only one possible plan has been
suggested that can meet the difficulty.
This is for the four provinces Of Ire
land. Ulster, Connsught, Munster. and
Leinster, to be awarded control over
their own affairs. with a provincial
parliament or council to legislate for
each.