The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-14

In the public session of the Dafl today-public, so far as the press and a few selected persons were concern ed-this point was raised by MT, De- Valera. It developed the acute diff ference existing between the Repub- lican president on the one side and Arthur Grdfthd and Michael Collins the other. In the argument dur ing the hours public session MT. De- Valera asserted the delegates had not obeyed the instructions of the cabin- eta charge which both Collins and Griffith resented.
 Dublin, Dec. 14-tBy The A. P.l- The Dai1 Exreann was convened for Great Britain establishing the Irish Free State. The proceedings were opened by Ramon DeValera, after the roll had been called. He spoke.e few words in Gaelic and then broaH into English.
 President Devalera,- who opened proceedings, explained at some len Ex1-- the circumstances under which the plenipotentiaries had received in structions the most important of which was that the complete text of the treaty should be submitted to Dublin and a reply awaited. That. he said, had not been done It was always understood also, he declared. that ratification by the Dali was es- sentfa1,
 Mr. De Valera invited 8 question
 with regard to the conduct of the ne
 gotiations. He said the question must
 De considered on it's merits and should
 not be influenced by the mere acci-s dent of a difference of opinion in the
 cabinet or any other eXtraneous mat ters.
 The Dali after it's preliminary pro- ceedings went temporarily into secret
 session
 The proceedings would be conduct
 ed in English, the Republican presi-1
 dent announced, as some of the mem bers did not understand the Irish tongue. Proceeding, MT. De Valera alluded to the agreement pending before the Dai1 and pointed out that divisions of opinion in the cabinet were not eX-- traordinary. Members of the Dail as they arriv-i
 ed bore the attitude Of men absorbed by the moTnentous task ahead os them. Michael Collins was engaged in earnest conversation with Robert c. Barton, who did not have smile even for his most intimate friends, Dublin, Dee, t4-rhe political cor-- summed up today the situation at the l opening of the DaiI Eireann session l for action on the Irish treaty. he l said:
 Proposition to the treaty sof irae- 1 pendence. is evident in Dublin to a much greater extent than throughout i the country. That Is. the amount of l dissatisfaction in the capital should 1 l vocal than powerful. Men inst re- l turning from the nidfanfs and the 1 west are aStonished to find q strong l min nority fn Dublin opposed to har- vestfng the fruits of the struggle In [ the west, particularly. including the l counties of Limerick. Gafwayn an 1 Clare, the treaty IS an accepted fact, ! and the people are all looking ahead, | They are discussing the political oon- l stitut1on of the provisional governs | 1nent which will Immediately follow 1 ratification. and the date of the eEac< 1 nation by the British army. ''Before today's session Of the Daft l is finished. however. there Is every | reason to believe that the majority | for the treaty will have been eensid- 1 esra,bly augmented. T<he forty ap- l ponents which I gave in my ealestla- | tion yesterday may yet be reduced
 when the full facts of the situattan
 are realized. It is believed that even
 some of those who cannot vote for 1 the treaty will refrain from voting
 against it.
 (Continued on Page Sixl