The New York herald., 1922-06-01
NO REPUBLIC IN IRELAND
AND TREATY MUST STAND

| them to be struck at, repressed. and 3
greater measure of liberty restored; an
that such conditions were necessary
| preliminary TO the free expression OF
the will Of the Irish people. to which
they look forward at an early date.
"They saw themselves in the power OF
an extreme minority in Ireland. But the
murder of British soldiers and ex-sol-
diers, or retired X. l. c. men and Protes-
tants, in the south. and the disturbance
In Ulster produced series of episodes.
which. il prolonged and multiplied.
would. in fact destroy the relationship
between Britain and Ireland and render
impossible the carrying out Of the treaty.
I'm afraid there is great force In
| that. There are grounds, therefore, 1or
the Provisional Governments declara-
ton that they were compelled to enter
into company with De Valera. There are
grave and possibly fatal disadvantages
in such compact If, however. there
were an immediate improvement In the
condition of the social order and ces-
sation OF outrages, then / should say
that those were advantages which well
might be offset against the disadvan-
tages of increased delay in ascertaining
the true and free will of the Irish people
in respect to the treaty offer.
''It is too early to say whether any of
| these compensating advantages Will be
gained. Some positions occupied by the
mutineers in Dublin have been given
up and | am assured that the general
position is much easier. On the other
hand. two or three of the cruelest AMI
most atrocious murders have been COM
mitted in Dublin itself, apparently
without political motive.
"Unless this compact is followed by
the general restoration of peace and or
der throughout the twenty-six counties.
by the cessation of the violence which
has been disturbing Ulster. the obvious
and lamentable disadvantages of the
compact will be unrelieved by any COM
pensating advantages.
The situation in Ulster has been con-
siderably affected by that compact. The
agreement between Mr.. Collins and Sir
James Craig on March 81 broke down
almost the moment it was signed. and
that agreement mas largely been dis
counted because the northern Govern
ment declared that IL Collins and De
Valera were to be members of the same
administration, the northern Govern
ment would have no dealings with
them. While the hopes Of Ireland de-
pended upon cooperation between the
north and the south, this compact made
ten days ago rendered such cooperation
parties-the north and the south--fur-
ther apart than before.
ut must be admitted that disturb
ances for so many months undoubtedly
have played a part In making the po-
siton of the provisional Government diff
Sfcult, exasperated the Catholic ma
jority throughout southern Ireland and
increased the support of De Valera and
his followers. De Valera has been fully
aware Of that; and one of his objects
has been to raise disturbances in the
north in order to provoke more violence
in counteraction and so promote these
divisions.
Constitution Examined.
1T was at this stage of the situation,
already sombre and Critical. that the
constitution of the Irish Free State,
which had been prepared by the pro-
visional Government, appeared upon the
scene. This constitution is to be framed
the provisional Government, in ac-
cordance with the usual dominion prac-
tice. before the election on June 16, and
submitted as the first task of the pro-
visional Government resulting from that
election.
II strongly deprccate. on Behalf of
the Government. any premature judg-
n1ent given now IN the absence OF the
essential and vital facts. After the cleo
tion, the constitution will be submitted
to the Provisional Parliament, and after
it has passed that Provisional Parlia-
ment in Dublin. it will be sent here for
confirmation and final ratification Of
the treaty.
How fortunate it is that we did not
yield to the repeated demands of those
in this House and the House of Lords
who, when the Irish Free State agree
ment act was being passed, called upon
us to make listers month for her de-
cision about coming into the Free State
and the subsequent action OF the boun-
dary commission date from the passage
of that measure. If we had harkened
to that counsel we should have lost
that constitutional parliament control in
the final stages of these serious events.
And. until and unless n thorough and
satisfactory fulfillment of the treaty
conditions is presented by southern Ire
land. there Is no obligation upon us
to proceed with the boundary commits
sion or call in question In any way the
existence of the frontiers Of Ulster.