The Washington times., 1921-09-24

| ~ anot n q
! !. ! !.
| trishman; oi
| sroup Of Irish
| nen. 1t re
| Iuires some
| hing different
| rom the worl
| ie has 30 sue
| essfully &C
SN omplished.%
| 0T TBjEANHE3 Under his
| VflN94S3QN23S cad the South
| Irish have wor
| every real thing
that any appreciable number Of them
desired up to a short time ago. II
is evident now the British will grant
every aspect Of independence except
the technical aspect.
| 1t is equally evident that the Brit.
ish public is behind the Premier In
refusing to agree that ireland 10 to
occupy a position more independent
than is held by South Africa. Canada
and Australia.
Ulster The Problem.
In continuing the fight for the tech.
De Valera would be up against a
puzzling situation. The South Irish
are already free. They are running
their own government. The British
Government is not functioning In Ire.
land. 1t will never function there
again.
ireland" says the veteran National
list leader, William O'Brien, ''is nj.
ready self-governing and free, and
England Is not a penny the worse
And OBrien suggests that the best
course to pursue Is merely to let the
truce alone indefinitely.
What. then. ID It that De Valera 10
principally up against? 1t is that he
has no plan whatever, as far as thus
Ear shown. for the minority in North.
ern Ireland. And he cannot work a
plan as long as technical departure
from the Empire Is insisted on, for
North Ireland has not the slightest
intention Of accepting any settlement
that puts Ireland altogether out Of the
Empire.
VIII Fight Separation.
De Valera is driven to the position
of saying that II absolutely complete
sovereignty Is granted to ireland first,
including the four unwilling counties.
the South OF Ireland will Immediately
know how to make those counties
quite happy without the application
of force.
But nobody can take that statement
seriously. Whatever may be said
about the disputed counties, there is
no doubt whaterer that there are four
that would put up every resistance in
their power against being separated
from the Empire.
1T is a very easy task. says De
Valera, ito lead on a straight road"
But the road. now that independence
for South Ireland is practically won,
Is by no means straight and easy. To
reach an agreement with the North
ern counties requires tact. Mere will
cannot bring it about.
Mere national pride makes II har
der. For aggressive national pride
blinds people to the arguments and
the rights Of others, including their
own minorities. The riots will not sub.
side In Belfast until the Irish major.
ity 10 generous. The British have
been forced to yield to the Irish ma.
jority. The Irish majority in the end
will have to concede something to the
Irish minority.
Invite Opposition.
That something Is technical inclu.
sion in the Empire. While the Irish
were fighting for the more concrete
aspects Of freedom they had with them
the best elements in England, in the
Colonies, and in Ireland.
BY hanging out on this one abstract
point they have set against them
Irishmen like Plunkett. Colonials like
Smuts, and the most generous Of the
British Liberals.
Nevertheless 1t is necessary to re-
member the principles OF trading. 1t
may well be that, in hanging onto the
one remaining point that they know
Ulster will not accept. De Valera and
the other leaders are merely digging
In the ground they have won-con.
firming and rendering permanent the
impression they have made.
Fear Double Cross.
There is every reason /. that they
should be cautious. They are dealing
with the shrewdest politician in the
world--possibly the wiliest tactician
They naturally do not wish to con-
cede anything until they are confident
that Lloyd George can no longer
double-cross them on what he seems
to have already granted.
They have every reason to remem.
Der 1914. Never was a solemn agree.
ment more shamelessly repudiated.
When i was in Ireland In 1915 all the
country passed through was MIA.
caded with the exploits OF the volun.
teer Irishman, Sergeant O'Leary, first
winner Of the Victoria cross.
Now O'Leary. is working for Sim
Fein against the country for which
he then fought. A friend of mine
asked him why he changed.
when went into the war" he
answered. "I fully believed the Bli.
tish had given us our freedom"
They had, but they took Il back.
n~suI 79kT uarxw INsr yiuS a3s-