The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-29
SUGGESTS SOLUTION
/ TO IRISH PROBLEM

]. III IhIOH TnUbltm|
Famous Author Says Only Course II
to Make Ireland m Inde-
pendent Nation.
Paris, July 2s.-rMake ireland an
independent nation" This ID the only
,solution of the Irish problem. declares
Major Erskine Childers. D. s. c.. one
of Britain's foremost authors and au-
Ithorities on the Irish question In an
article which the recent wide
ly published proposal Of viscount
Times. for q solution of the problem
which IL nov engaging considerable
attention in the two English speaking
nations.
Major Childers IL the author Of
The Framework OF Home RUIZ" and
other prominent workA He was one
of the heads Of the convention which
Premier Lloyd-George organized In
1917 to devise q scheme to settle the
Irish problem. He knows. therefore,
whereof he speaks. His article fol-
"A strong vein Of humor underlies
the three portentiously solemn col
umns to which the London Times OF
last Thursday gives the title Of an
Irish settlement. The humor will be
appreciated when we have discovered
by patient analysis exactly what the
IL.
The home rule act passed before
the war Is now on the statute books
and unless It II repealed 1t must soon
come into effect. It Is a bad act blu,
1t has at least the merit OF setting up
at once n Internationally an Irish
parliament for United Ireland.
Away with It" says the Times
Let US construct something on more
broad and stafesmanlike lines
Then this broad and statesmanlike
project Is revealed, and note carefully
that 1t is In two parts. one positive and
Intended for immediate execution. The
other purely speculative and con
tingent.
The positive part amounts to this
that Ireland is to be partitioned. to be
split into two sections. a small one
ulster and a large M the rest Of Ire,
land. Each is to be given a petty pro-
vincial legislature to deal locally with
certain minor departments of govern.
,mcnt.
Neither OF these two artificial Ire
lands is to have any connection with
the other. both are to be under the
supreme direction OF the British gov
eminent. This is the first stage the
Times says, and this is all that It pro.
poses should actually be done here
and now.
ireland Is to be thrown into con.
fusion and left there. For to split into
two a country which God and nature
made one and which Is united by COM
mon laws, customs, administration and
above all by common economic facts Is
TO create gratuitous confusion II not
chaos.
II want to be strictly fair. Ameri-
ans will see at n that X there
were to be simultaneously created
supreme federal Irish parliament tc
which these two artificial provinces
would be proposed. that would be a,
least logical.
But this solution would not suit
the Times at all. II opens UP ominous
vistas of power and dignity for ar
island so ear and so s~trategically
necessary to England. At the am
time the Times cannot ignore the pos
sihilfty of an island parliament as ar
ostensible means Of rounding off
scheme which would be otherwise one
OF naked partition.
So the second stage" IL to be tht
creation Of this parliament-but onl,
III and when conditions permit.
And what Is the first n indispensable
condition? The consent OF Ulster
Then a. now, the small minority IL
one corner of the island Is to dictat,
to and dominate the whole and de
cree II 1t pleases the perpetual parti
ton OF ireland and the perpetual de
! ntal OF Irish nationhood.
Not n OF the powers nominall,
transferable from the British parlia,
ment to the all-1rish parliament car
be SO transferred without the con
sent OF both provincial legislatures .
Now, what is the inducement t.
transfer? What kind of a body il
this all-island parliament to be? !
normal. Economically elected bod.
like tho American congress or til,
Canadian parliament? Not a bit o
it There Is to be no election. Dele
cations" are to be sent by each O
the two provincial legislatures, ant
those delegations" are to be equal ii
number-equal. although Ulster /
only q quarter Of Ireland?
But that Is not all. Even thes,
equal delegations" are to be gerry
wandered in order to give specia
representation to the unionists com
mercial interests in the north and Il
the landlord interests In the South
SO that the result would probably b,
to place the great mass OF the Irish
people In a positive minority in theil
own parliament
Let me observe in passing that tn,
system proposed revives the viciou,
features OF two dead and d~iscreditet
constitutions. that OF the old Austria,
Hungary. and that OF the old Cana,
dian Union. In the former case, tn,
central parliament consisted Of eQua
delegations. resulting In perpetua
frictions and deadlock vergfng on civil
war. In the Canadian Union initiated
In lS40) the parliament was elected
but the French and British province.
sent equal numbers regardless Of IN,
population. with the same result O
friction and finally deadlock leadinf
to the federation OF 1857.
And now, supposing that this amax
Ing parliament" were by 4 miracl,
to come into existence.. Could it func,
ton? Could II pass laws? Could It.
executive act?
Once more, not without the permis
! sion OF Ulster. No law passed by the
all-Ireland parliament. 40 thA Ttrne,