Evening star., 1921-12-27
FRACTIONAL STRIFE
MAY FACE IRELAND
Personal Ascendancy of Ea-
monn De Valera May
Become Issue.
BY GEORGE N. BARNES,
British Parliament Leader.

! BY Radio TO The Star.
! LONDON, December 27-Ireland, in
deed. is born to troubles just as sure
| ly as sparks fly upward. All indica-
| tions from Dubli go to show that she
may be destined to new era of fac
! tional strife, in which the issue will
| be the personal ascendancy of Eamonn
De Valera. The separate republic of
his fancy Is gone. 1t is dead with few
to pay it reverence and these few
i fight against fate. Modern science. as
well as the opinion of civilized man
kind, have given a decree against
| them.
What remains is the difference be-
! tween the form of words drawn up
, by De Valera and those embodied in
| the Downing street agreement. This
difference has been described by Ar
| thur Griffith as a mere shadow and
| quibble of words. And yet. except for
| the interposition of a miracle, this
! shadow" will rend southern Irish
men who will fight themselves alone"
i instead of the forces of Great Britain.
Adoption Seems Assured.
! The alignment Of forces in the dial
eireann at the time Of adjournment
insure the adoption of the treaty by
a comfortable majority. The adjourn
ment of the debate has been d real
victory for Collins and Griffith as
against De Valera. 1t will give time
| for Irishmen here in England as well
as on the other side of the Irish
channel to get the true bearings OF
| the situation, and ! believe it Will
strengthen the hand of the advocates
| of the pact.
Griftith's shadow may have real
substance for lrishmen on this side
of the channel, however shadoWy it
may be for lrishmen III Ireland. For
the latter it may be Il mere matter of
form. For IriShmen here it may have
a serious meaning.
The oath contained in the agree
ment envisages Irishmen as in com
mon citizenship of Ireland and Great
Britain" De Nalera's oath atfirms the
association of Ireland with the British
, commonwealth. but omits reference
to the common citizenship of Irish
men in the United Kingdom.
Would Make Irish Aliens.
What does this mean? There is as
yet no explanation. But the obvious
implication is that it affects irish
men here as we'll as in ireland. \
large part of the population of Great
Britain is Irish by birth or part Irish
by parentage. We have no quarrel
with them. They are with US in all of
our activities. They are not only with
US. but of US. Their blood is com
mingled with ours. To do anything
which would make them aliens would
be to cut out what has become vital
to both of US. But even if this may
! be strained Interpretation of De
Ealera's meaning. it is quite clear
that 1riShmen coming here in the fu-
ture would come as aliens. Whatever
De Valera may have in his mind that
is the clear literal meaning of the
words Therefore it is plain that the
Irish question in this aspect ceases
to be a question only for Irishmen in
Ireland and becomes one for conSid-
GRAFTON of Irishmen in Great Britain
also.
Meantime. while the Irish confer
ence is adjourned, the Washington
conference has inspired the British
people with new hope. The French
demands were a disturbing element
and caused England to watch the
later sessions with some anxiety, but
there is already such volume of
agreement as insure success. The
conferences constitute great effort
which entities those who are respon
sible to say that they are working to
truly celebrate the birth of the Prince
of Peace. The results at Washington
are a grand Christmas gift to the
world.
Copyright, 1921