The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-14
Dali. OPENS
DEBATE ON
new TREATY
Brief Formal Opening Is
Followed by Secret
Session.

London, Dec 14-CBy the Asso-
cisted Press. Ulster intention 10
stand aloof from the Irish Free
State, provided for in the treaty be
i tween Great Britain and southern
Ireland, was expressed in a letter
being sent to Prime Minister Lloyd
George today from Sir James Craig.
the Ulster premier, according to \
Belfast district to the Evening
Standard.
London, Dec. 14.-(By the Asso-
ciated Press. )-Opening the spec
ial session of parliament, called to
consider the Irish peace settlement
King George said in his speech
from the throne today:
1T is my earnest hope that, by
the articles Of agreement now sub
nlitted to you, the strife of centur-
les may be ended"
Reopen Thursday.
Dublin, Ireland Dec II (By the
Associated Press.) - The Dali
Eireann met today in pubic ses-
sion for consideration of the Anglo
Irish agreement. but after the for
NAL opening and d brief discussion
of the credentials of the plenipo-
tentiaries al the London conference,
went into secret session with the
announcement that the public sit
ting would be resumed tomorrow.
President de Valera, who opened
the proceedings, explained at some
length the circumstances under
which the planipOtentiaries of the
Dali, who met the British Tepresen-
tatives for the negotiations in Lon
don had been appointed. On Oct.
7, the plenipotentiaries had re-
ceived instructions the most I'M
portant of which was that the com
plete text of the treaty should be
submitted to Dublin and i reply
awaited. That, he said, had not
been done. 1t was always under
stood also, he declared. that ratifi- 4
cation by the Dali was essen rial.
De Valera Begins Battle.
He invited a question with regard
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 acct
dent of a difference of opinion in
the cabinet or any other eXtraneOus
matters.
Reviewing the circumstances
leading up to the appointment CT
the plenipotentiaries Mr.. de Valera
said he had made it clear At the
meeting of the Dali that the pleUi-
potentiaries should have full
plenary powers, but that whatever
arrangement was reached would be
submitted to the Dali for ratifica
ton. The cabinet, he declared.
b.vyg cant zrz- fiya V4ET1 d
negotiate a treaty which would bind
the nation without some larger
body representing the nation hdv-
ing an opportunity of criticizinE
and reviewing it
Condemns Pact.
Mr.. de Valera said his idea was
that when the pIenipotentiarieE had
arrived at an agreement in prin-
/ cipIe and had a rough copy OF the
document. they were prepared to
/ sign they should have sent 1t to the
! cabinet He could only say that
when he did see the final text ne
could not see his way 20 sign or
+ recommend it This was Il case or
+ difference of opinion between tWu
+ bodies which would naturally arise,
and he was anxious that the differ
/ ence OF opinion should not Inter
/ fere with the discussion Of the
treaty.
After Mr.. de Valera had con
cIuded, Arthur Griffith, head Of the
delegation TO London, who, with
Michael Collins and the other plent-
potentiaries, signed the peace
agreement. rose 10 ask whether 10
was alleged that the pIenipotentiar-
les had exceeded their instructions.
Mr. de Valera explained that the
treaty was signed in the small
hours of the morning after aItera-
tions had been made which the cab
met had not seen. To that extent
re said, the Instructions had not
been followed.
| Collins then asked that The final
/, document agreed 10 in Dublin by
the united Dali cabinet should be
put side by side with the document
/ signed in London by the plenipoten-
/ tiaries.
They did not sign that document
as a treaty, he said, but On the
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