Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-12-22
NEWS REVIEW OF
CURRENT EVENTS
Treaty Between Great Britain
and Ireland Is Signed and
Peace Is in Sight.
IRISH FREE STATE CREATED
ruII independence Within Empire Is
Granted-UIster Given Its Choice
Quadruple Understanding
on Pacific Is Announced in
Plenary Session of
the Conference.
BY EDWARD W. PIcKARD

FNEACE and amity between Great
Britain and Ireland are in sight,
ter many a long year of bitter en-
ity and intermittent fighting. Just
ss the outlook seemed darkest, Lloyd
george and the Sim Fein delegates ar
,'ved at an agreement that solved the
tangled problem and signed treaty
f, hich creates the Irish Free State as
=, sister nation of the British empire
;e Canada, Australia, New Zealand
nd South Africa Its constitution is
be based on that of Canada, and
re representative of the crown in Ire
nd is to be. chosen in the same way
- the Canadian viceroy.
by clever juggling of words and
,4irases the peace delegates evolved
y oath of allegiance that the Irish
ere willing to accept. 1t must be
ta5en by every member of the Irish
arliament and is as follows:
Il do solemnly swear true faith and
allegiance to the constitution of the
'sh Free State as by law established
rrd that / will be faithful to his maj
eety King George v, and his heirs
AID successors by law, in virtue of the
'c",umon citizenship of Ireland with
Great Britain and her adherence to
rvd membership of the group of ma
tins forming the British common
wealth of nations"
Ireland is to have her own army and
coast defenses and to control her own
finances. She admits liability for
share Of the British debt, and Britain
retains the right to control certain
ports.
= AS for Ulster, while speedily In
formed of the treaty, she is not even
asked to consent toit. The northern
counties are to be included in the
Irish Free State, with local autonomy,
hut have month to decide whether
they prefer their present status, and
during that time "the powers of the
parliament and government of the
irish Free State shall not be exercis-
rble as respects northern Ireland" If
Ulster elects to retain her present
status, her boundary lines are to be
fixed by a commission of three.
At this writing Ulster has not acted
formally concerning the treaty, but it
IS predicted 1t viii approve it. All
t'reat Britain, except a very few of
tie most rabid Unionists, are enthusi-
astically for the pact and the southern
Irish themselves seem fairly we'll sat
isfied and decidedly relieved. They
should be happy, for they gain practi-
cally everything they have asked ex-
cept actual separation from the Brit
ish empire. The treaty is yet to be ac-
cepted formally by the Irish parlla-
ment and the Dali Eireann and by the
British parliament, which has been
summoned to special session. "Presl-
dent" de Valera declares himself
against the agreement, but the real
rulers of Sim Fein are Arthur Griffith
and Michael Collins both of whom
signed the pact gladly. Mr.. Griffith
said:
These proposals give Ireland the
control of her own destinies and place
our future in our own hands. They
enable us to stand on our own feet
and to develop our own civilization
and national distinctiveness. They
constitute a .regainment of Irish liber-
ty after struggle of centuries"