The daily times., 1921-09-10
TO LEAGUE OF NATIONS
Causes Much Surprise on Ac-
count of Valera's Demand
on England that Ireland
Have a Place in the League.
General Supposition Irish
Opposed League.
(By David Lawrence).
Copyright, 1921, by The Daily
Times

Times)
Washington, Sept. 9.-Eamon de
Valera's insistence that the British
government grant Ireland mem
bership in the league of nations as
one of the guarantees OF autonomy
the news was regarded as having
special bearing on Americas politi-
cal situation.
The general impression here has
been that the Irish were unalterably
opposed to the league of nations and
that the Americans of Irish descent
who in the last campaign left the
Democratic party in large numbers
because of its espousal of the league
were in absolute harmony with the
wishes of the leaders in Ireland. In
the state of Massachusetts the Irish
were so powerful in the Democratic
/ party that an attempt to endorse the
| league at a state convention resulted
| in the absence of most of the Demo-
cratic leaders. To the Wilsonian
| argument that the league of nations
integrity whenever she obtained in
dependence, the answer was made
| that the league covenant would put
| Ireland in chains and force America
war between Ireland and England.
Article ten was held to be a means of
compelling the United States to side
with England Notwithstanding the
| inSistence of the leagues friends that
the protection of territorial integrity
meant against external aggression
only
The news conveyed here from Lon
don by the Associated Press that Ea-
mon de Valera wants to be assured
that Great Britain will grant ireland
membership in the League of Ma
tions as we'll as the Dominion confer
ences on the same basis as Canada,
New Zealand, Australia and South
Africa is interpreted variously here
Government officials, of course, are
loath to discuss the Irish situation
quired of the Department of State if
the United States government were
using it's good Offices either unofi-
cially or officially, formally or in
formally, in the threatening situa-
tion between England and ireland
land the answer came back Ne"
! There is no evidence that the
Harding Administration intends to
become involved in any way in the
dispute. The reasons for this atti-
tude are presumed to be a feeling
that the whole thing is a domestic
issue as between different parts of
the British Empire and that the
American government could not af-
ford to do anything which might
cause offense to the British govern
ment in London. President Wilson
took a different view of his preroga-
tives. He went SO far as to discuss
the Importance of an Irish settle
ment when Arthur Balfour arrived
here in the spring of 1917 as the
head of the British War Mission. In
Paris he endeavored to secure an
audience for three American dele
gates from an Irish organization who
wanted to lay the Irish question be-
fore the Peace conference. The Brit
ish finally refused the audience but
it is a fact that the Washington gov
!, ernment used the occasion to discuss
, with the British the vital need for a
settlement of the Irish issues.
, But while nothing is being done
by the Harding Administration it is
, fact that everybody views with
grave concern the possibility of a
rupture between England and Ire
| land and the hope is unoficially ex-
pressed that the latest proposals OF