The New York herald., 1921-12-13
Insists Irish Parliament
Can With Honor Reject
Agreement.
WEST IS FOR GRIFFITH
Stanch Physical Force Advo-
cate Says Day of Guns
Has Passed.


Special Cable TO THE NEW YoaK HERALD.
Copyright, 1921. by THE NEW York HERALD.
DUBLIN, Dec. 12.-With the Dali
Eireann meeting within forty-eight
hours to decide upon acceptance or
rejection Of the peace terms signed by
Arthur Griffith, Premier Lloyd George
and their colleagues. and with fore
casts of the result ranging from to
] for acceptance to reference by the
Dali to plebiscite of the people of
south Ireland, Eamonn de Valera is
taking much the same kind of an atti-
tdde regarding the settlement as the
United States Senate ''irreconcilables"
took in connection with the treaty
President Wilson signed in Paris.
De Valera insists that the platform
of the Irish Republicans has been
compromised in no way by the work
Of Sim Fein plenipotentiaries in Lon
don; that the honor Of Ireland was in
rejection of the agreement. giving as
precedent that the United States
Senate refused to ratify the treaty
which was signed by President Wilson
in Paris.
Mr.. de Valera made it plain that he
was still determined to fight for his
principles to the utmost, although his
friends are trying to persuade him to
leave way open before Wednesday.
when the Dali. or Republican Parlia-
ment, meets, so that he can with dig
nifty line up with the Griffith Collins
forces in case he is defeated, and all
work in harmony. These friends say
vote if taken on the treaty will be
close, but other estimates give De
Valera but 40 votes in the Dali.
Mr.. De vslera's Statement.
Tonight Mr.. De Valera, declaring
can Parliament of the London agree
ment was not an empty formality. issued
this statement:
The honor OF Ireland is not in
volved in the ratification OF the
agreement arrived at Our plenipo-
tentiaries were appointed on the dis
tnct understanding that any agree
ment they made was subject to rati-
fication by the Dali Eireann and by
the country and could be rejected by
the Dali Eireann IL It would not COM
mend itself to the Dali, or by the
country if 1t did not commend itself
to ''the country"
The Parliament Of Great Britain
and the people Of Great Britain will
on their side similarly consider the
agreement solely on its merits. Ii
the British Parliament desires it can
reject II. so can the British people
Ratification is then no mere empty
formality.
The United States refused to ratify
treaty signed even by its President.
The honor of the nation is not in
volved unless and until the treaty is
ratified.
A member of the Dali from Galway.
who has been one of the most active
Sim Feiners. physical force advocate
from the old Fenian days and who
passed many months in prison. told THE
new York HERALD correspondent here
he was breast high with Arthur Griffith.
who headed the republican plenipoten-
tiaries In London. He said he had
brought to Dublin wide western ireland
support of Mr.. Griffith, not because he
has more faith in Mr. Griffith than in
the others. but because the Sim Feiu
military chiefs are behind the man who
signed the agreement. He asserted that
for the sake OF Irish peace he was on
the side Of the redoubtable Michael Col
Inns and Richard Mulcahy, men whose
activities brought about the present
state Of affairs and without whom the
Sim Fein cannot hope to accomplish
anything.
'.Day of Guns Is over"
He added that since Mr. Collins and
Mr. Mucahy were doing all in their
power to have the London agreement
ratified II means that the day Of the
guns Is over. and therefore the agree
ment Is tho best they can get.
The solidarity obtaining In religious
circles here has. in n sense, removed this
element from the minds OF the waverers
ana the Irishmen one meets about town
ire thinking more clearly than they
lave for long time. Predominant
continent continues to support the agree
jnent and some predictions here are that
AR. Griffith will W.. by vote OF three
80 one.
II was learned In authoritative circles
mere to-day that great influence has been
brought to bear on Mr.. de Valera to
rsuse him to pledge himself to some
tort OF a compromise in the event the
decision by the Dali Eireann on Wednes-
aAy goes against him, and TO display
-''ffngness to accept the verdict. coop
gratinR instead n standing nefda or ra-
gnlng. There was report from what
s. believed 20 be a reliable source that a
ieh church official from London ar
rived in Dublin and had seen, Nj dc
Continued On powa Three