The Irish standard., 1917-08-18
IRISH C0NVEN NTI0N
RESUMES SESSIONS
Organization Completed and Commit
tees Appointed to Work Out Details.
Tentative Plans to Get An Express
sion of Will Of the PeopIe-Danger
of Partition.

of Partition.
Recent dispatches from Ireland
show that the fears of Archbishop
Walsh and the Bishop of Derry re-
garding partition of Ireland were not
entirely groundless. The New York
World has published interviews with
several members of the convention.
These interviews show that the de-
mand for full Colonial Home Rule
made by section of the Irish people
has been turned into an argument in
favor of partition. 1t is claimed that
because there is more than one Par
Lament in Canada, Australia or South
Africa, there should be at least two
Parliaments in Ireland.
The Rev. DR.. John Pentland Ma
haffy, Provost of Trinity College,
Dublin, declared:
"In my opinion, solution will be
found in the creating of separate pro-
vincial governments, to be afterward
unified on the South African model"
Lord Dunraven observed:
Il think the Canadian model, with
necessary notifications, probably will
be found to be the most generally
acceptable solution, provided the
scheme is submitted to a referendum
to secure listers adherence"
Sir Thomas Grattan EsmOnde, a
Nationalist member of Parliament,
said:
1--WE are aiming at dominion self
government, which would satisfy the
Nationalists. l am Indifferent as to
whether we should have continued
representation at Westminster unless
an Imperial Federal Constitution is
established"
Danger Of Partition.
Lord Middleton, who has succeeded
Sir Edward Carson as chairman Of
the Irish Unionist Alliance, which was
founded to oppose any sort of Home
Rule, and who heretofore has been
regarded as the leading irreconcilable,
remarked:
Il suggest creating four states to
comprise the Irish Commonwealth,
although l recognize there would be
great difficulty in balancing trade adj
vantages and defense responsibilities.
l think the decision should include
early revision of the empires con-
stitution. The delegates are receiving
printed details of the dominion con-
stitution for their guidance"-which
is considered a significant fact.
Lord Chief Justice (of 1reland)
Campbell, lately member of Parlia-
ment for Dublin University, Carson's
second in command in Ulster, said:
| IF solution is reached, it prob
ably will be on the Canadian model,
but Ulster would resist being placed
under an executive in Dublin"
The rather unexpected adjournment
after two days until August was due
to the necessity of accommodating docu-
ments and library dealing with the
history of constitutional conventions
in the Dominions and the United
States.
The convention reassembled August
8 to complete it's organization, ap-
point further committees and draw
up plans of settlement embodying the
opinions of all parties. Then further
adjournment will take place, during
which the members will place before
their constituents their own and other
views to test the feeling Of the
country.
Then, if the convention is able, it
will proceed to adopt plan in prin-
ciple. This will be explained to the
people of Ireland in broad detail by
members before a final vote is taken.
;r>1n % fa-~
been adopted the convention will con-
, tinue to work out the details and draw
up constitution.
, Some leaders hope in this way to
be able to avoid the necessity for q
referendum to the voters on a final
plan.
At the same time the convention
leaders are anxious to avoid the ap-
pearahce of imposing a settlement
without consulting the will Of the
, people.
The crux of the dominion plan
: seems to be a question of setting up
Parliaments in each of the four pro-
: vinces, with a central Parliament.
Joseph Devlin, the Ulster National
. list leader, told the World correspond
ent today that the Nationalists will
:, make any concession and grant any
safeguard that Ulster wants.. He
J., added that in his opinion the Sim
Fein is bluffing and will accept set
i tlement IL one is arrived at.
!, On the other hand, De Valera, who
;, was elected to Parliament to repre-.
: sent East Glare and who since then
:. seems to have been gathering Sim
/; Fein power into his own hands,
l. avowed with manifest sincerity that
!; the Sim Fein will ignore the con.
}. vention results because, he asserts,
j. "the Sinn Fein has a majority in
l. every district in Ireland except
Waterford and Ulster.