El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-11-19
IRELAND
And The Irish
LEAVES FROM AN
OVERSEAS NOTEBOOK
B.

gan October Is Today's instalment e91.
) unues the Irish notes.
Il COMPLETE separation Of Ireland
, - from the British empire is out
OF the question, in our time at
any rate. The utmost that ireland
could hope for would be another Cuba.
? a protectorate, nominally independent
: and self governing, yet under actual
control Of a stronger power.
The most reasonable solution Of the
Irish problem is a dominion govern
ment, similar 10 that Of Canada and
Australia, though with certain changes
IN the interest Of promoting a better
feeling between England and Ireland
than could be expected from the do
mlnlon system as it exists elsewhere
in the empire.
ireland should have the utmost de-
gree OF self government and independ-
ent control, consistent with imperial
I protection and imperial possession.
Ireland possesses the ability and the
men to govern the island The less the
English have to do with It. the better
for Ireland and the better for the king
dom and the empire England Should
abdicate all connection with Irelard's
internal and domestic affairs and DO
lice. ireland would Of course abdicate
her present powers Of interference in
the government Of Great Britain.
Put the Irish on their own response
biity, and let them alone; this would
Z be the first step toward restoration.
Necessity would lead the Irish to
establish e1fectual police protection and
| put down crime Something like the
/ old time Nevada and California virii-
D a q to-
[ the law abiding majority would regain
I control and keep it. In time tEere
would be liberty under law
The greatest obstacle TO a settle
meut along these lines is Ulster. The
I province OF Ulster on the map Of Ire
land has rather more than one-third
the total population of the island. But
nobody seriously claims that an Of
Ulster province Is TO be regarded as
IN line with what may be called, for
short, the Carson policy; that Is, II
recOnclable hostility to any plan Of
self government for Ireland, and de-
termined adherence TO the united /
kingdom"
Belfast and counties Antrim and I
Down are fairly solid for the Carson l
idea, and are called "Carson's corner 4
by Sim Fem. These have about 7sA.- I
900 population. Add all Of Armagh. 4
125,00O; add half Of Londonderry. [
Monaghan, Tyrone, and Cayan, $4,000; /
add one-fourth of Donegal and Fer I
managh, 60,0O0i total 100000, OF
something more than one-fourth the
total population, which figure may be
regarded as an outside figure for the
adherents 10 what is generally called
Ulster which Is really a political
and racial group rather than geographic
cal.
A like total. maybe 100000 less, may
be arrived at by adding all non-CathO-
he elements IN ireland. The non
Catholics are generally concentrated in
the above named provinces and Dublin
and vicinity, though there are immense
numbers Of Catholics an through Ulster
and there are many prOtestauts in the
other three provinces.
The Sim Fem element claim. not 65
or IS percent of the total population.
but so and up 20 90 percent and over.
They claim tAat election figures show
that not over 10 percent Of the popu-
lation is opposed 10 Sim Fein and the
other auri-Carson groups. Sim Fein
has made great Roadway in many parts
OF geographical Ulster.
But for the sake OF argument, sup ,
pose we take the maximum figure {
from the anti-Sinn Fein side. one
quarter Of the population. Certainly
the dividing boundary is very vague
on the map. Efforts to divide on pres
ent county lines invariably fail, and ]
could not be carried out arbitrarily
from outside, without causing perpetual
border warfare Whether any geo
graphical division would be possible ,
by agreement would remain TO be {
seen It probably would be possible.
Ulster fears that, if this region 7
OF northern counties should be in {
Guided IN any separate Irish govern Z
ment with the southern and western {
counties Ulster would simply be- Z
come the prey OF the remainder Of Ire
land, would be taxed to death, discrim- I
mated against IN every way bv the rest /
Of ireland, and would be helpless by I
reason OF It's minority representation e
in any Irish national or dominion par
lament based on population.
The remainder Of ireland, recogniz- /
ing the tremendous economic power OF
Ulster" would expect to protect its z
interests IN any event through its
voting majority in the Irish parlia-
ment.
1t can be seen why "Ulster" resists
my project looking toward subordinat-
ing her to the Catholic and non indus
rial south and west; while the south {
and west more or less cordially invite {
Ulster" 70 waive her objections ard =
play the game all together, promising !
ust and equitable treatment, political. :
fiscal, economic, and religious.
Assuming that Ireland viii be given c
ome form Of dominion self govern Q
nent, there remains this alternative. =
N all-Ireland dominion, OF, two sep 2
rate Irish dominions. S
It may be that, if two separate e
.ominions should be constituted, or a
.anic union would come later on. a
trough considerations Of self inter
st and the workings Of economic a
0rces. y
listers opposition to immediate or
.anic parliamentary union Is not well q
rounded and not wise. If Ulster =
hould 60 into an Irish parliament on Z
ONE equitable basis, Ulster would soon :
axe her rightful place by reason of II
he economic and moral and intellec- (
ual force she might WELD, regardless "a
f a numerical majority which she
cells TO be entirely opposed 10 her now
nd which she fears would be predatory Z
nd oppressive. I
Consideration Of the American sys-
EN-, the history of the union and its
xpansion. would be Illuminating to / y,
rislmen in this connection. We have
cen all over the ground many times I
uring almost a century and a half.