New-York tribune., 1921-12-07

| Inc general eIectloI OF 1919 an
INITIATED the Nationalist party and
! publicans and the Ulstermen.
Mr.. Llovd George was now Prime
Minister. He decided to cut the Gordian
knot. He scrapped the Asquith act and
substituted for it a measure. which he
forced through, setting up frankly two
parliaments in Ireland, the one at Bel
| fast and the other at Dublin, with
power to unite if and when they SO de-
sired. Ulster accepted the measure.
and her Parliament was opened this
year by King George amid scenes of
great cnthusiasm. But Nationalist Ire
land was bitterly estranged.
America Vital Factor
The story must here include what
| was happening in the United States.
President Wilson had added the weight
of his authority to the phrase "self-de-
termination" Everywhere new repub-
lies were displacing ancient mon
archies. Instances were Poland, Czecho-
Slovakis, Hungary, Austria and so on,
and why not Ireland? When "Presi-
States he was rapturously welcomed by
the great body of American citizens Of
| Irish extraction. From Australia he
was reinforced by Archbishop Mannix.
And in England people of all parties
were stirred by the self-infiicted death
by starvation of Terence MacSwiney.
In June and July, 1920, therefore, great
efforts were made in New York to bring
De Valera into personal touch with
Lloyd George. The conditions offered
De Valera were three in number rec
tegic safeguards and special treatment
Of Belfast. He refused them even as a
basis of discussion and proceeded with
the guerrilla warfare which led to the
severe British reprsals at Cork, Bal
briggan and other cities.
There is hardly doubt that De
Valera had his eye on the Presidential
election in the United States. He
hoped to force a recognition of the
Irish republic by two steps-irst, that
the British Ambassador should be re-
Empire other than Ireland, and, sec
ondly. that the Irish ambassador
should be received as the only man
entitled to speak for Ireland. From
Governor Cox, as Democratic candi-
date, there was extracted promise
to bring the case of Ireland before the
League of Nations, but the Republican
party declined to commit itself in any
way. The election ended Ireand's
\
the United States.
But the guerrilla warfare went on
during the winter of 1920 and the fol-
loving spring with cverincreasing Bit
terness. The export of arms from New
York to Ireland was discovered and
prevented. 1t is also possible that
| funds began to give out Anyway, this
summer, powerful influences, which in
cluded the Pope, again appealed for
peace. Even against the Pope, De
Valera still insisted upon the ex-
scarcely less intractabie. Dc Valera
was, however, persuaded to come to
London. There he and his collaagues
were welcomed by the people with a
warmth that must have dispelled for
ever the view that the British people
had any quarrel with ireland, or even
with Sim F'ein, and it seemed as ;f
terms OF peace ought easily to be ar
ranged. The settlement has, however.
taken months to negotiate, and even
now it is settlement over the head Of
Ulster.
First. Mr.. Lloyd George had to keen
his Tory supporters in leash. Many Of
them were Mortified at the idea of talk
ing thus with "murderers," as thew de-.
scribed the Sim Fem army and its
generals. Next, he had to convince
Sim Fein that any discussion at ali
VAS of value on the basis of British
sovereignty. Here he was helped by q
very plain-spoken letter to the Irish
republlcans from General Snuts, who,
after visiting Dublin, dealt Faithfully
with the irreconcilablcs whom he
found there. Forty-eig.t hours ago
however, nothing was settled, and ii
seemed certain that the old snipinc
would begin again with all the deplor-
able results OF such form Of beliger-
ency. The King was active. He has
strlven for peace in Ireland as other
nlonarchs have striyen for thejl
thrones. And on Monday Lloyd George
decided on one final effort
Third Degree" Used
The fact that after Clever hours he
succeeded means that both sides rui
themselves under the pressure known
in American criminal procedure as the
third degree. They argued until there
was no more strength left with which
to argue. The net result is that or
the two fundamental issues Sim Feln
has come to terms. The Dali Eireann
VIII be asked to ooncede, first, tha
Ulster cannot be coerced into joining
with the rest of Ireland. and secondly
that neither north nor south Irelanc
can expect complete independence OF
England. These arc the essentials Of
the settlement and all the rest is form
The forms are, however, arranged SC
as to meet republican sentiment to tn,
utmost. The southern province is t,
be called tho Irish Free State. Tn.
terms OF its constitution are to h,
submitted not only to the British Par
-