The Washington times., 1922-05-28
Against The Treaty.
DUBLIN. May 81.

the Treaty is a very difficult
to deal with the immediate pres
ent. Ireland under the Treaty II
now rent asunder and cannot ses
any grounds for hopes unless the
Treatyists explicitly assert in tho
Constitution of the Free State:
% That the nation Is one and
indivisible.
(2) That all authority in Ireland
is derived from the people Of Ire-
land.
(S) That the oath Of allegiance
and the governor general are omit
ted.
A constitution which win not Do
bar those who would have Ireland
free from giving constitutional ex-
pression in an Irish Parliment to
the Republican ideal would, think,
be acceptable to the Republicans.
Americans should understand
that England forced the plenipo-
tentiaries to sign under the threat
Of Immediate and terrible war"
OF all Of England's abominable
cries against Ireland this latest IL
to my mind the most revolving.
There are two shapes Of political
thought represented In those who
favor the articles of agreement
signed in London. Ono led by Mr..
Arthur Griffith asserts that the
agreement gives Ireland essential
liberty and is quite prepared to 40
cept the arrangements in complete
satisfaction Of Ireland's claims. or,
In the words OF Mr.. Griffith. Ito
march into the British Empire
with our heads up" and settle
down. a oontented Dominion of the
Empire, with the hope that some
day the ultra imperialists OF tho
six counties called Ulster will come
into the Imperial FREQ State
It is to be regretted that Mr..
Griffith has taken this course.
course which is the very negation
OF all that to which he has devoted
his life. Mr.. Griffith. by his teach
ings OF the past thirty years. Is
responsible to great extent for
the intense revival Of Irish Nation
alism, which found It's expression
In the Republic.
The other group. led by Mr..
Michael Collins, claims that the
Treaty gives Ireland freedom to
achieve freedom"-also, Get the
British out OF Ireland. build up the
country and in ten or twenty years
Ireland will be in q better position
TO fight England and so establish
the Republic" This plea has Sc
cured many adhrents to the
Treaty who heretofore were con-
sidered implacable In their desire
for the complete independence Of
Ireland. Indeed, were It not for
the fact that Mr.. Collins signed
them. the Articles Of Agreement
would have received very short
shrift in Dali Eirann.
The Republican point Of vicw
expressed by de Valera and sup
ported by the young men Of the
Irish Republican Army and by all
those who would have Ireland as
free as America or as England, Is
q simple one. based on the funda-
mental right of the Irish nation
to the indicated control Of it's
own affairs, owing allegiance TO no
power on earth save the sovereign
people OF Ireland, prepared TO
stand on the fundamental rock Of
right, refusing to give demo-
cratic title to the British King In
Ireland, refusing to march into the
Empire with heads UP as Mr..
Griffith invites, or to march in
with hands up for ten years or
more as Mr.. Collins would have It.
OF the two policies, that OF the
heads up" is the more honorable.
Republicans argue that once the
Irish nation sanctifies this treaty
and ratifies It in the ballot box.
the honor Of the nation is COM
mitted, and by 80 doing Ireland
wills her own national death. The
sanction of treaties is invoked
against Mr.. Collins arguments. It
is pointed out that entering the
Empire gives the lie to all that for
which countless generations Of
Irishmen have contended. All the
dead generations are fighting on
the side Of those who would main
tain the independence Of Ireland,
and am satisfied that this point
OF view will win in the coming
election.
Now that the army OF the Re-
public has cut itself off from those
who would accept the agreement,
the future OF Ireland under the
treaty is very doubtful.
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