New-York tribune., 1921-12-07
Lloyd George Is
Hailed as Victor
In Irish Peace
Sinn Fein Has Conceded His
Points; No Coercion of
Ulster nor Full Indepen.
deuce, Observer Asserts
Nation Will Uphold Him
Modified Third Degree Of
America, Used in Dark
Hours, Ended Deadlock
By P. w. Wilson

roF years Antcrtcdn correspondent ct
THE Lomdom Daily News" and former
Member Of Parliament.
Copyright. 1921. New York Tribune Inc
The settlement in Ireland is one of
the great events in the history of Eng
lish-speaAing nations. 1t ranks with
the Declaration of Independence, with
the Constitution of Canada under the
British North America act, with the
foundation of the Commonwealth of
Australia, with the grant OF sclf-gov-
ernment to South Africa aud with the
inauguration OF an elected Parliament
at Delhi for a United India. Of the
Importance attached to this momentous
occurrence at Washington, can testify
from personal observation. Within the
last fortnight l have had long con-
xersations there with the British Am
bassador, with one of the most dis
finguished Senator's and with lead
Ing Minister in President Harding's
cabinet. All these statesmen referred
with anxiety to the possibility Of the
truce breaking down in Ireland. 1t has
been common knowledge that the pros
poets of the armament limitation con-
ference, depending as they do upon
Congressional and Parliamentary sane
tions, have been involved in the negoti
ntions at Downing Street Without
settlement, or at least q truce, in Ire
aand, it would have been useless for
MIR. Lloyd George to visit the United
States and appeal for reasonable CO.
pperation between the new world and
Hhe old. Sinn Fein knew this and used
the. fact to drive hard bargain for
Aotal independence. AS president" of
che Irish Republic" Mr.. De Valera is
believed to have been more unyielding
.iH his attitude than Michael Collins
8hd the other delegates, who, as a mat
ter of record, had done more actual and
physical fighting. In New York. found
De Valera to be curious mixture
of the enthusiast and the doctrinaire,
DC stood for the republic and nothing
kss, for the whole of Ireland. This
Vas the situation that Mr.. Lloyd
George had to overcome.
- The points at issue were not many
NOR difficult to appreciate. The land
question had been settled, and so had
the thorny problem of the universities.
u could not be seriously contended that
the trouble was commerce or finance,
Ireland had free market in Britain
fbr her products, and all suggestion
dJ taxation or declining prosperity had
disappeared except from propaganda,
Which dealt with the past rather than
the present. But there remained the
demand for full nationality still unsat-
iSfeld. 1t is this demand that has been
80 hard to meet.
Tories Won Over in 1914
The shades of Parnell, of Gladstone,
d Redmond, will be awake to this days
aews. At first Home Rulers had to
encounter British Torysn as iptrenched
in the House of Lords. But in 1914
she Tories, as represented by Mr.. Bal
zrt for the self-government of Ire.
Ynd was placed on the statute book
from that time onward the scene OF
yerplexity has been in Ireland herself
Eirst. you had dissentient Ulster refus-
ing to come into any all-Ireland scheme,
whatever its character And, secondly,
Tpu had Sim Fein pressing more and
tors powerfully for a republic to in
dude Ulster, whether she wanted it or
not. Details like customs and excise or
the postotflce or currency appeared in
the interminable controversies, but the
real fight was over the two main ques-
lions: Ought Ireland to remain under
the British Crown? and Should Ulster
hR allowed TO secede from the rest of
ICELAND? Nothing else really mattercd
s"No one regarding the situation can
fcow doubt that Gladstonian homo rule
should have been granted when Glad
stone proposed it, either in 1886 or in
1898. But the landlords had not then
hfen bought out, Ulster was powerful
- the House of Lords, and Ulster was
Protestant, Yet even IN 1914 the sitn-
stion was still in hand At the con-
ference in Buckingham Palace Britain
fss dealing not with Sim Fem but
'tith Redmond and Dillon. There was
very nearly settlement. But the
negotiations failed because both Ulster
and nationalist Ireland claimed the
Catholic counties Of Fermanogh and
Tyrone. As Prime Minister Mr.. AS
qnith dared not attempt to coerce
Ulster.
With the world in chaos, the situa-
tIon, thus drifting, rapidly became
Worse. The Easter rebellion of 1916
was fomented by Germany, but it's re-
rfession SO alienated Irish sentiment
that Sim Fein became an even more
formidable menace than before. A
conference was. however. called, with
Sir Horace Plunkett in the chair. 1t
failed to bring in Ulster, and with it's
failure Redmond fell from leadersh p.
re and his party walked ont of the
House of Commons. never to return.
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