New-York tribune., 1921-12-30
Agree Present Dali Can't
Ratify Treaty, but That
Southern Parliament
Must Take Final Action
Membership Almost
Same in 2 Houses
{ Commons, Elected 1920,
Never Assembled, May
Be Called to Meet Now

DUBLIN, Dec. 30 (By The Assoc-
ated Press Although no compromise
between the opponents and advocates
of the AngloIrish treaty in the Dali
E'reann has yet been attained, future
plans designed to avoid wrcckng the
agreement are being considered.
1t IS generally recognized now that
Eamon dc Valera was right in assert
ing that the Dali has no power to ratify
the treaty. The treaty itself prescribes
the mode of ratification to be bv the
members elected to sit in the House
of Commons Of southern Ireland which
was constituted under the home rule
act of 1920, but which actually never
met, and which, except for the pur
pose Of ratfying the treaty, probably
never will meet. Its membership is
nearly, but not quite, the same as that
of the Dahl
Plan to Summon Commons
The Dali includes some members
from northern Ireland and excludes
four elected to the southern Parlia-
ment from Trinity College. The idea
is that after the Dali approves the
treaty, which it is expected to do by a
comparatively small majority. the rati
flying body named in the treaty shall
be summoned. The Dali members who
are dissatisfied with the treaty need
not attend this gathering, it is pointed
out, and thus their colleagues, plus the
Trinity members, might ratify the doc
ument unanimously. The Dali would
still function as lreland's only recog-
nized elected parliamentary assembly.
A provisional government would be
formed under the treaty, and the Dali
Elreann could act as a check on it's
functions. 1t will take many months
for the new Irish constitution to be
put INTO working order and in the
between the Sim Fein leaders might
be accommodated. There is however,
a possibility that Mr.. de Valera, Aus
tin Stack, Charles Burgess and Erskinc
Chliders may, as De Valera has said,
regard the new provisional government
as usurpation and campaign against
it.
Some of Mr. de Valera's most inhu-
ential and valued friends outside the
Dali have seen him and urged the de-
s'rabllity of accepting the treaty. They
arc said to have come away convinced
that on the ground of principle he is
entirely uncompromising and will fight
the matter out, whatever the conse-
Quences.
Country's Attitude Plain
The country's opinion on acceptance
of the treaty is not in doubt. Even the
members of the Dali Eireann oppos-
ing the treaty admit that they could
not carry more than very small pro-
portion of their constituents with them.
At the last election the Sim Fciners
secured undisputed control Of all the
great municipal and county governing
bodies over most of Ireland. These
bodies are now being asked to influ-
ence their representatives in favor Of
the treaty, and county after county is
adopting resolutions urging their mem
bcrs in the Dali to vote approval.
Thus far there has been no instance
of any public body adopting resolutions
against acceptance, although at most
of the meetings there has been a mi
nority holding that view. A remarka bic
feature of the resolutions favoring the
treaty is the general lack of enthusl-
asm for it's terms. 1t is accepted
mOStlN WIN all accom- pdlfllutHl VI u
cisms regarding it's deficiencies, but the
view is practically that, such as it is,
it should be accepted.
For the moment there is a lull in the
controversy, as it was agreed that the
holiday was not to be utilized for
propaganda, but the line of argument
is that Mr.. de Valera had ceased to
stand on the fixed rock of republican,
ism and that the issue is really be-
tween two forms of compromise.
Official Boards Favor Treaty
The Offaly County Council, in the
constituency of DR.. Patrick MacCartan,
former Sim F'cin "Ambassador" to the
United States, to-day adopted reso-
luton in favor of ratification of the
treaty. The resolution carried with
it an amendment appealing to the Dali
Eireann to act untedly in whatever
decision it should take.
The corporation of the town of Sligo
was among the other bodies to-day
which passed resolutions supporting
ratification.
The official organ of the Irish Vol
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