The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-12-20
DAHL POWERLESS
To RAT|FY TREATY
SAYS De VALERA
Authority Limited to Approval
or Disapproval
MOVE TO VOTE DUE TODAY
Barton Claims He Was Compel
led to Sign to Avoid War
With England.
MOVE TO VOTE DUE TODAY

the Anglo-lrish treaty would move
today for a vote on the question OF
approving the treaty and that Ea.
NOM De Valera, president Of t.le
irish republic, would move its disap.
proyal.
De Valera, addressing the Dali at to
days session, declared that there
could be no question OF ratification OF
the treaty by the Dali, which, he con
t'nued could not ratify the pact in the
sense OF making II legal document
He asserted that all the Dali could
do was to approve or dlsapproye.
Dublin Dec. 90. (Associated Pressll
When the Dali Elreann adjourned
Last night after two lengthy public
sessions devoted to earnest debate.
nothing tangible had developed to
indicate how the members would vote
on the question OF ratifying tle
treaty designed TO set up the Irish
Free State.
Immediately after adjournment
the correspondent interviewed four
prominent Sinn Feiners Deputy
Duggan. Mrs, Sheehy Skeftineton
Tom Johnson, secretary of the Irish
Liberal movement, and Col. Maurice
Moore All Of them declared it was
impossible 10 make any estimate of
the relative strength of those favor
ing and t'ose opposing the treaty or
to hazard guess as to which side
would eventually gain 4 majority.
De Valera, Griffith. Collins, Child.
ers and several other prominent men
In the councils of the party spoke
on either side, but it is generally
agreed that the most sensational and
most impressive contribution was
Robert Barton's narrative OF the cir
cumstances under whio1 he and other
delegates We're, according 10 his state
ment, forced 70 s'gn the treaty with
out referring II back to the Cabinet
at Dublin
Mr. Barton said b oath TO the re.
public was to most sacred bond on
earth, and he had broken il as the
lesser of two alternative outrages
torced upon Vim and because he was
compelled to choose Immediately.
Mr.. Griffith, he explained had re
peatedly sought TO have the terms re
ferred back to the Dali Eireann, but
this Premier Lloyd George directly
negatived The signature of every
member of the delegation was neces
sary or war would follow at once and
the Prime Minister gave the delega
tion until 10 &C ock to make up tAeic
minds.
Griffith. Collins and Duggan We're
he said, for the signature, but he and
Gayan Dut Y were against it, He hello
out, and that placed the responsibility
for war on him; so he signed rather
than commit the Irish people TO war
wit1Out consultation.
And so" he exclaimed, 81 now
fulfill my undertaking and recon.
mend to you this treaty"
Loud applause followed his speech
coming partly from the opponents OF
the treaty, who apparent y recogniz-
ed in Mr.. Barton's narrative a serious
attack on the agreement, and partly
from the supporters of the treaty
who welcomed preservation Of thCl
solidarity of the London delegation,
as '.tere had been rumors in Dublin
indicating Mr.. Barton's intention to
separate himself from the signatories
An outstanding feature was the at
tempt by the delegates to the London
conference to deprive Mr., De Valera
of his claim OF adherence to the re-
publican principle by demanding the
publication OF his plan for al a'terna-
tive settlement, which 1t was reveal
cd had been submitted at last weeks
private sessions OF ne Dali. The ar
gument was that the nation had a
right to know what were the two poll
cies they were expected to decide up
on and that as a matter of fact, Meth
er was republican.
Mr.. De Valera resisted publication
of his alternative plan. explaining
that it was put forward only in an
attempt to secure unanlmity in the
Dali Elreann, and was now irrelevant
! He promised, however, at a later
stage, to indicate In Ais own way the