Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-14
The Hour of ireland"

Announcement from London on Friday was
that the proposed new Irish home rule bill had
Law. Its contents are yet profound secret,
save that it contemplates the establishment OF
two legislative bodies. Under the caption here
used, the London Times, in its issue Of Novep,-
Der "a. discusses the question after this fashion:
Our Washington correspondents admonition
last Friday that III our public men and the
press desire really to help Anglo American re-
unremittingly to the settlement Of our own
most pressing domestic problem" may serve
as reminder Of the urgency of an Irish settle
ment. Like him, we are convinced that the
solution Of the Irish problem will do more to
open up 4 new and practical era OF Anglo
formed by partnership in the war" than any
expression of regret that the American senate
should not have risen to the height Of Presi-
dent Wilson's ideasm. We trust and, indeed,
believe that the government share this eonvie-
ton. The settlement drafted by the cabinet
ton by the cabinet as whole and the govern
ment scheme itself should shortly be produced.
Save for one disclosure, the deliberations of the
cabinet committee have carefully been kept
secret. According to that disclosure, the basis of
the forthcoming scheme was to be the estab-
Ulster the other for the rest of Ireand-with a
link between them in the form of an equal rep
resentation Of both of the provincial legisla-
lures. If this basis has been retained, it will be
prina facie evidence that the cabinet committee
have boldly faced the fundamental ISSUE and
that the government are seeking a just and
statesmanlke solution of the Irish problem. We
should be glad to believe that in regard to Ire
land at least, the administration have been in
spired rather by principle than by considera-
tions of apparent but only apparent, expediency.
-, 1t was never, and it is not now, to be expected
that any scheme possessing the merit Of true
compromise would escape denunciation by those
whose positions as political partisans prevent
them from yielding, in advance, one jot Of their
maximum demands Every Irish party stands
ton has precluded initiative from Irish quarters
in the direction OF genuine concession The
government must be prepared for noisy oppo-
sition on all sides; and they will undoubtedly
have to race the plausible barren argument
that in existing circumstances, nothing can
that in Ireland there are many who would
gladly lend force to that argument. The plain
answer to it is that the present situation cannot
safely be allowed to continue, either in Ireland
or in regard to the bearings of the Irish ques-
ton upon our foreign relationships. We have
Irish peace is essentially a British--nay, an
English-problem, to be faced by Engishmen.
Any suspicion of foreign pressure or OF foreign
Interference would prejudice the hope of
settlement which, if it is to pDssess and to re-
tain its full virtue, must be spontaneous; but
none but fools can imagine that the foreign re-
latonships of this country and the relations of
the various parts of the British empire to each
other, are not also essentially a British con-
Germ, and therefore to be taken fully and earn
estly into account in assessing the Importance
of the Irish issue In truth, its Importance is
such that there could be no Justification for
government that should allow its resolution to
waver on the eve of action for fear of displeas-
ing Irish halcontents on the one hand and
British and Irish reactionaries on the other.
We assume that scheme OIL the lines above
indicated has been seriously considered by the
cabinet; and, while recording our concurrence
with its general idea, we confess our anxiety in
regard to the nature of the link between the two
provincial assemblies That.link should be some
thing more than symbol Of Irish unity. As we
have repeatedly urged British statesmen should
aim at laying sure foundations on which Irish
men themselves may, in course of time, build up
a united system Of Irish self government. We
hold that the present position of Irish affairs
denlapds that special consideration be given to
the peculiar circumstances and the just claims
recognizing these circumstances and by conced-
ing these claims, in so far as they are truly
just, can al eventual union Of Ireland be salts
factorly achieved. Among the just claims OF
OHlOnlSt Ulster we NUMBER nef right to a meas
ure Of independence within an Irish state At
the Irish convention John Redmond was pre-
pared to assent TO virtual equality of repre-
sentation between .Unionists and Nationalist.
1t may be assumed that he aud his colleagues
would not have faced the payment Of such a
price had they thought that their object could
be gained at less cost. The object was TO safe
guard the essential unity Of ireland. Since the
convention, the chance of securing stability
in Ireland under a single legislature has become
more remote. Nevertheless, the government
should neglect no method Of pushing open the
door to the practical establishment and working
of central Irish parliament at the earliest pos
sible moment. In other words, the link be-
tween the provincial legislatures must be real
and must be susceptible of being strengthened
by the action Of Irishmen themselves. We
shall judge the forthcoming proposals Of the
government largely by the promise they contain
of the attainment of this end. The best, if not
the only, hope of substituting Irish co-opera-
ton for the present Irish discord lies in giving
Immediately to an Irish parliament both the op-
portunty and the means Of doing constructive
work for the benefit of ireland as whole.