Evening star., 1921-12-14
| De Valera Scores ENJOYS for
Signing Pact Without Con-
=. suIting Dublin.
GO INTO SECRET SESSION;
WILL VOTE TOMORROW
British Parliament Also Opened
Amid Great Pomp to Act on
Peace Terms.

intention to stand nlOOf from the
Irish free state, provided for I'm
the treaty between Great Britain
and southern Ireland, was ex-
pressed in a letter being sent to
Prime Minister Lloyd George to-
day from Sir James Craig. the
Ulster premier, according to u
Belfast dispatch to the Evening
Standard.
The letter, says the dispatch,
was drafted by the Ulster cabinet
yesterday evening MS n reply to
Mr.. Lloyd Georges last letter Of
December S, which contained the :
terms OF the AnglO-Irish agree
ment. Sir James protests against
what he terms Great Britain's de-
parture from the act of 1920. which
Ulster accepted in good faith.
DUBLIN, December 1.-THE ques-
ton of ratification or rejection of the
Anglo-Irish agreement by the dali
eireann has been postponed until
Thursday, when a public session will
he held and the deputies will debate
the matter and come to a decision.
This was decided upon at today's
meeting of the dali, called to con-
slider the agreement.
Meanwhile the dali in secret session
was this afternoon discussing the
dispute between the delegates to the
London conference. who were the
signers of the agreement, and Eamon
De Valera, the republican president.
and his adherents on this issue as to
whether the delegates had the power
to conclude the agreement.
De yalcra Scores EnvoyA.
In the public session of the dali today
public so far as the press and a few
selected persons were concerned-tais
point was raised by Mr.. De Valera 1t
developed the acute difference existing
betHsen the Ssnnsiiess dAnf on tlss
one side and Arthur Griffith and Michael
Collins, the leaders Of the plenipoten-
tiaries. on the other. In the argument
during the hours public session Mr.. De
Valera asserted the delegates had not
obeyed the instructions of the cabinet
"a charge which both Collins and Grif-
fifth resented.
President De Valera. who opened the
public proceedings. explained at some
length the circumstances under which
the plenipotentiaries of the dali who
met the British representatives for the
negotiations in London had been ap.
pointed On October Z. he said. the plen.
ipotentiaries had received instructions
the most important of which was that
the complete text of the treaty should
he submitted to Dublin and a reply
awaited. That he said. had not beer
done. 1t was always understood also, he
declared, that ratification by the dali
was essential.
to the conduct of the negotiations
He said the question must be con-
sidered on its merits and should not
be Influenced by the mere accident
of a difference of opinion in the cab
met or any other extraneous mat
ters.
Declares Instructions Exceeded.
After Mr.. De Valera had concluded
Arthur Griffith, head of the delega-
tion to London, who. with Michael
Collins and the other plenipoten-
tiaries, signed the peace agreement
rose to ask whether it was alleged
that the plenipoteptiaries had exceed
ed their instructions.
Mr.. De Valera explained that the
treaty was signed In the small hours
of the morning after alterations had
been made which the cabinet had
not SEEN To that extent, he said
the instructions had not been fol-
lowed.
Michael Collins then asked that the
final document agreed to in Dublin
by the united dali cabinet should be
put side by side with the document
signed in London by the plenipo.
document as a treaty. he said, but
on the understanding that all the
sienatories would recommend it tc
the dail for acceptance.
DR.. White then moved privat,
session. Mr.. De Valera said he
thought the general question mus
be debated in public. but that thu
cussed in private. Statements hat
inst been made by delegates whicl
were not facts. he said.
other members argued that tn,
whole proceedings, with the. excep
tion of those touching upon militar!
or financial secrets, should be mad,
public. r..
Expected to Await Orders.
Reviewing the circumstances lead
ing up to the appointment of tn
plenipotentiaries, Mr.. De Valera sait
he had made it clear at the meeting
of the dali that the plenipotentiarfe
should have full plenary powers, bu
that whatever arrangement wa
reached would be submitted to th'
dali for ratification. The cabinet, h,
declared, would not have sent an!
1--WE men to negotiate treaty which
would bind the nation without SOM
larger body representing the natioi
having an opportunity Of criticisinl
and reviewing 1t.
Mr.. De Valera said his idea wa!
that when the plenipotentiarfes ha,
arrived at an agreement in principle
and had q rough copy of the docu
ment they were prepared to sigl
they should have sent 1t to the cabi
net. He could only say that wheI
he did see the final text he could no
see his way to sign or recommend ii
Collins Resents Attack.
Mr.. Collins protested against wha
he characterized as the unfairnes
that lay in submitting one documen
without submitting the original ere
dentials He read the credentials o
himself and his colleagues, signed b.
De Valera, authorizing them to nego
tiate and conclude. on behalf of tn