The New York herald., 1921-12-10

CESS, and Erskine Childers, a former
can wife. With them also is Desmon
calls Norman French rather than /
The intellectuals do not like the idea
of anything savoring of a compromise
with principle or playing with terms.
But the final argument they are using
in the political battle now going on
is this:
If ireland. never so strong again as
she is at this moment, again permits
herself to be put under British domi-
nation, no matter how benevolent that
domination is at the present time,
there can be no future guarantee that
the all too frequent story Of British
oppression will not some day be re-
peated They want absolute freedom
because they then believe that the
nations OF the world, and above all
the United States, would take inter-
national action to prevent Britain
again stepping into Ireland.
other Dominions Would Aid.
Proponents Of the treaty reply that
specific mention of Irefand's parallel
condition with Canada, South Africa
and the other dominions, means that
those dominions will aid Ireland if
Britain ever again attempted to inter-
fere in the rights of Ireland, which
would be their own rights.
They insist she mas merely come
into the Empire anew on her own
terms. Fealty to the King, implied
in the oath, they say, is but the polite
fiction which persists for the other
States OF the commonwealth. and they
quote that declaration of Bonar Laws
to the House Of Commons, now part
OF the British Constitution, that IL
any of the dominions wanted to Sc
cede, the British Government could
not but acquiesce. But they do not
shout this argument too loud, lest it
come back upon the head of Mr.. Lloyd
George and wreck ratification in the
British Parliament.
Aside from these two classes men,
toned Ireland seems convinced that
geography has indissolubly linked the
destinies of the two islands any way,
and that if Arthur Griffith. with the
square jaw and the piercing eyes, is
satisfied Ireland will not suffer under
the terms of this new joint destiny.
and IL Mike Collins, who would have
to do the work, thinks that more is
not worth fighting for. the bulk of the
Irish people seem satisfied. It is
probably for this reason that the ir.
reconciables do not favor plebiscite
If the decision of the Dali goes against
them. De Valera will probably resign
end Griffith form the new Govern
nent with Collins as Chancellor o.
the Excheuuer.
Had Agreed on oath.
According TO the stories now leak.
ing out here Griffith and De Valera
! had agreed upon a form of oath OF
loyalty to the Irish Free State and
the British Commonwealth of Nations
with coupled Acknowledgement Of the
King as the head of that common
wealth. The Government fatty re-
fused this formula and Griffith at the
last moment took the matter in his
own hands and swung the delegates
behind the next best thing they could
get.
with the Irish newspapers now
speaking freely for perhaps the first
time in many years they are solidly
for the Griffith settlement. With them
stands the Church. Eight Bishops have
already come out with an open blessing
for the treaty. Perhaps the most Inn
portant OF these is the venerable Arch
q.
always been one OF the biggest forces In
Sim Fetn. He has been variousiy de-
scribed as both the military and the
financial genius of the movement and
as it's "cha plain" He has said OF the
treaty:
'erhe men who made this treaty will
be immortal / am confident that the
Irish Free State will soon have the
allegiance of every 1rishman."