New-York tribune., 1919-02-11
New Party Seeks
To Promote Unity
OF Irish Factions
Moderate Leaders Hope to
Find a Solution to Home
Rule Problem by Means
of liberalization Scheme

DUBLIN, Feb. l Correspondence of
The Associated Press). - For the mo-
ment Ireland seems divided into two
parties of extremists, one side demand
ing the overthrow of every vestigc of
British rule, and the other demanding
the maintenance of the existing system
OF government, to be varied, if at all
by an acCual extension of Union prin-
clples and the treatment of Irish coun-
ties as if they were British shires. An
attempt, however, is now being made
to tackle the problem in a manner in
tended to reconcile conflicting interests
by working out plan for unity in
diversity, such as obtains in America
A moderate Centre party is being
formed III Ireland to advocate the solu-
tion of Irish Home Rule through the
principle of federalism. Before Ireland
swung over to the Sim Fein the most
familiar demand of those Nationalists
who were dissatisfied with Mr. Asquith's
Home Rule act was for Dominion Home
Rule.
The new Irish Centre party purposes
to meet that demand. A scheme has
been drafted which in the main follows
the Canadian model of 1867.
The political and religious differ
variety of their character and needs,
IT is argued, are no more acute in Ire
land than they were in Canada, and the
Canadian experiment has been great
success.
Ireland is declared by the sponsors
for the plan to be large enough to pro-
vide for local divisions while maintain
ing its national unity. There are in
Canada parliaments for provinces and
tanning much smaller population than
the smallest of the Irish provinces and
in some cases much smaller area
Moreover of the states comprising the
American Federal Union, eighteen have
population smaller than that of Con-
naught, while eight others have popu-
lation smaller than that of Ulster.
The new Irish plan proposes a sep
arate provincial single chambered Par
lament for each of the Irish provinces;
though some suggest only three, with
grouping of Leinster and Connaught
Each provincial parliament would have
It's own executive and it's own ex-
chequer and have full control over all
the purely internal affairs of the
province. At the same time there
would be established Central Federal
! Parliament with its own executive and
eycheuuer controlling all otfaire affect
ing Ireland as whole. The plan di'-
| ters from the CahAU AN mOuel. OsveVcr,
in the proposal that Ireland, as a con-
stltutional unit of the British Empire,
shall be represented also in the i'm
perial Parliament.
Change is Suggested
The scheme Of constitution for the
Irish Federal Parliament is based on
that Of the Home Rule act Of 1914, but
/ it is suggested that both Of the houses
shall be elected by proportional repre-
sentation. The whole scheme has been
worked out in detail and is presented
as giving the amplest opportunity to
the various provinces to work out their
own destinies by their own meth ods
Belfast it is pointed out, would be as
free as Cork or Dublin from any inter
ference with its local liberties. Pow
ers of taxation, both federal and
provincial, are provided for and re
arrangement of the judicial system has
heen devised.
The scheme prohibits both provincial
and federG governments from any in
reference with religious causalty. As
to education, the proposal is made that
the National Board of Education should
be resolved into it's constituent ele-
ments and two new boards be set up in
lieu of it-one to consist exclusively
of Roman Catholics and the other to
represent the various Protestant de-
nominations, each board to have its
activities limited to its own denomina-
| tIDDHI int prnctc