The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-12-14
IRISH LEADERS
IN SQUABBLE
De Valera Questions Their
Right to Conclude
Agreement
DISPUTE HEARD IN
SECRET SESSION
Meanwhile Public Meeting
of Dali Was Postponed
to Thursday

Dublin, Dec. IA (By the Associated
Press) The question Of ratification
or rejection of the Anglo Irish agree
ment by the Dali Eireann has been
postponed until Thursday when a pub
lie session will be held and the dep
uties win debate the matter and come
to decision. This was decided upon
at to-day's meeting of the Dali, called
to consider the agreement.
Meanwhile the Dali in secret session
was this afternoon discussing the dis
putc between the delegates to the Lon
don conference, and Eamonn De Val
era, the republican president, as to
whether the delegates had the power
to conclude the agreement.
President De Valera, who opened the
morning proceedings, explained at some
length the circumstances under which
the plenipotentiaries of the Dali had
been appointed. On Oct. Z, he said, the
plenpotentiaries had received instruc-
tions, the most important of which
was that the complete text of the
treaty should be submitted to Dublin
and reply awaited. That, he said, had
not been DONE Ii was always under
stood also, he declared, that ratifica-
tion by the Dali was essential.
Mr. De Valera invited a question
with regard to the conduct of the me-
gotiations. He said the question must
be considered on its merits and should
not be influenced by the mere accident
of difference Of opinion in the cabi.l
net or any other extraneous matters.
Reviewing the circumstances leading
up to appointment of the plenipoten-
tiaries, Mr.. De Valera said he had
made it clear at the meeting Of the
Dali that the plenipotentiarie should
have full plenary powers but that
whatever arrangement was reached
would be submitted to the Dali for
The cabinet, he declared,
would not have sent any FIVE men 10
negotiate a treaty which would bind
the nation without some larger body
the nation having an op-
portunity Of criticizing and reviewing
it.
Mr.. De Valera said his idea was that
when the plenipotentiarics had arrived
at an agreement in principle and had
a rough copy of the document they
should have sent it tc the cabinet. lie
said he was anxious that the difference
Of opinion should not interfere with
the discussion Of the treaty.
II was question of whether the
delegates had failed TO report to the
cabinet before signing the agreement. |
Mr.. De Valera insisted this was an
important point, but Mr.. Griffith
claimed ii was not material one. for
while he and his colleagues had power |
to sign an agreement they had not au-
thority to conclude one. The represen-
tatives of the Dali and Of the British
cabinet were in an identical position, |
he pointed out; az they had each to |
refer the treaty 10 their respective leg |
islatures for ratification.
This question was TO form the sub.
lect for the secret session but il APP
peared from remarks that were dropped |
that certain of the deputies desired TO |
earn something about the Sim Fein's /
financial and military ability to re-
sume warfare before casting their
votes, and they asked for reports in
private on these points.