Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-07-29
N0RTHC[IFPS. PEAN
Of REFORM LAUDEO
Ireland Gives Him Every
Credit for Exposition of
Its Situation.
BY WILLIAM Fl. DRAYDEy.
By Cable to The Star and Chicago
Daily News. Copyright, 1919.

l -
BY Cable to The Star and Chicago
Daily News. Copyright, 1919.
DUBLIN, ireland, July 2s.-viscourit
Northciiffe is given every credit in Ire
land, not only for the searching and
| generally sympathetic exposition in the
London Times Of tho realities Of tho
Irish situation, but for the courage with
| forth. It is the first plan for anJrish
settlement ever put forward which starts
without any Irish political backing what
ever -
It contains something valuable Of
| what each section claims, but It fails
to meet the whole demand OF even the
| most moderate section. The largest
treat. seriously a home rule plan OF
| any kind, and they debate or nego-
tiate nothing. A republic or nothing
| is still their policy. There is nothing
in the Northcliffe plan to draw away
| from the Sim Fem any of the support
it has so far received. Among consti-
tutional nationalists the general com
| ment is that the possibilities of prac-
| teal advantage to Ireland have re-
ceded since the Sim Fein. aided by the
tutionaiism. 4 better settlement than
that indicated in the Times was OBJ
tainable before the rise Of the Sim
Fein.
Offers Less Than Home Rule Act.
It offers less than the home rule act
row on the statute book. and offers 1t
by installments. Joseph Chamberlain
proposed something similar as an al
tentative to GIadstonc's home rule bill
lin 1885,
Roughly, the new proposal is to Gre
ate two separate and equal legisla.
lures for Ireland-one for Ulster and
one for the other three provinces
to deal with provincial affairs. In
conditions in ireland permitted, into
an all-Ireland parliament, Ireland re-
naming meanwhile as whole under
the British executive. When an all
Ireland parliament is obtained each
Of the provincial ns I, legislatures. would
plication to it OF any federal law Or
any act Of the federal executive. The
lord lieutenant would have the power
Of veto on federal and state legis- ,
latfon.
The plan bears some resemblance 10
the policy Of the Irish center party
founded by Capt. Stephen Gwynn,s now
dissolved and absorbed in Horace
Plunkett's Dominion League, but in
some important respects 1t falls short
Of the dominion policy now advocated
by the moderate section. e is not
likely to modify the hostile attitude
st the Ulster party, which can now
count on the support OF many Of the
southern unionists who, for. time.
showed a disposition TO conpromise.
WIN Draw Cross-Fire.
The Times is certainly right In an
anticipating that II will draw the
cross-fre Of the opponents OF set
Element in either extreme camp.
Whether it will obtain any effective |
support even from the moderate camps |
remains to be seen. 4
As q contribution to discussion and |
keeping alive interest In home rule |
in England tho Times plan Ia admit |
tedIy Of great value. but It is mot re-
garded as probable that the govern
ment will adopt this or any other |
plan Of settlement which would not |
be generally acceptable In ireland. So |
long as the Sim Fein speaks for the |
Irish majority and Sir Edward Car
son represents the Ulster section the |
government wilt profess that its |
hands are tied by the impossibilities |
demanded Of 1t and will leave things |
as they are. II IL not believed that !
it will offer. and still less as the |
Times asks, enforce any form OF set
Element unless that form has strong |
backing in Ireland.