The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-12-22
COERCED IRISH
INTO SIGNING
Accept Treaty or Immediate
War, Lloyd George Said.
DUFFY TELLS OF THREAT
Calls 1t "Monstrous lniquity," But
Hopes Pact Will Be Ratified, as
Best That Could Be Had.

ropes Fact VIII be natlIleoI aS
Best That Could Be Had.
Dublin, Dec. 22-Arguing to the
dali eireann Republican parliament)
for ratification Of the Anglo-1rish trea-
ty for the creation of the Irish Free
State, George Gavan Duffy, one of the
Sim Fein peace delegates, said the
British prime minister had issued an
uIfimatum to the Irish ENJOYS requ1r-
ing them to sign the treaty under
threat of immediate hOstilities.
He termed it a ''mOnstrOus iniQuity
the delegates, who had been invited
under David Lloyd Georges roof for
the discussion of Il peaceful settle
ment. should have been given only
three hours by the premier to decide
the question of signing without the
oDportunity of consulting Dublin. The
treaty. he added. should be ratified
in the interests of the people of Ire
land.
ODpoSition to referring the treaty
10 the electorate was voiced by MI.
Duffy in his argument for ratification
He declared he opposed this cours"
because of the high feeling pleDiS-
cite campaign would create. Such
campaign, he asserted, would rend the
country from one end to the other.
Eamonn !. Duggan. the last of the
Irish peace delegates to speak in the
debate. denied he had been "hlutfed
into signing the treaty. He SAID he
had signed it in calm seclusion and
.svith due consideration TO the cOun-
try. the living and the dead He
warmly urged ratification.
After telling Of his Jail days. when
he saw scaffolds erected for his COM
rades, he declared the pact represent
ed the fruits Of the sacrifices OF all
who had died for Ireland. Every
man and woman here" he continued,
lis entitled to go out and die for
Ireland. But none is entitled to send
the Irish people to DEATH
Mr.. Duffy was the days first speak
err before the parliament. Il will rec
ommend the treaty. reluctantly, but
sincerely" he announced, because l
see no ALTERNATIVE.
His speech indicated he assumed
the treaty would be ratified. He said
it would be the duty of the trainers
of the Irish constitution to place the
foreign king at a considerable dis
lance from the Irish people" adding ;
1.-THE king symbolizes in himself the
lust anger of the Irish people for 100
years"
Mr.. Duffy conteDded Ireland could
omit the kings head from the coins
of the Irish Free State and could
abolish the Union Jack.
Going over the events in London
December 4 and 5, leading up to the
signing of the agreement, he said the
prime minister had issued an ulti-
matum requiring the signatures to the
treaty of all the delegates, under the
threat of immediate war. They be-
lieved this time he was not bluff1ng
1t was, Mr.. Duffy said, as the prime
minister's official organ declared, "a
grim choice.
Deputy James J. Walsh said the
report he had asked members of the
t,ail not to describe Eamonn de Valera
as president" was unfounded. Speak
er John MacNefll confirmed the MEM
Der.
Mr.. Walsh read a letter from Mrs.
Terence MacSwiney, widow Of the
lord mayor Of Cork, who died from
hunger strike in Brixton Prison last
wear. Mrs. MacSwiney said accept
ance Of the treaty would be "a great
triumph for the enemy"
Michael Collins, Republican army
commander and leading supporter
of the treaty, jumped up and said:
"Out of our great respect for the
dead we have refrained from reading
letters we have received from rela-
tives of the dead, but we have them. ="
Arthur Griffith, Sim Fem foreign
minister and leader Of ahe peace dele
CATION, also interviewed to say the sup
porters of the treaty had many letters
from women whose husbands were
killed in the fighting.
Mary MacSwiney, sister of Mayor
MacSwiney, severely arraigned the
prime minister In speaking against
the treaty. She characterized the
premier as IAN INSCRIPTIONS scoun-
drel."
Professor Stockley, Of Cork Uni
versity, formerly Of Canada, opposed
the treaty.
Deputy Whelan, Galway, supported
the treaty, saying he felt bound to
deliver the country from chaos.