The New York herald., 1922-01-03
Dali EIREANN VOTE
ON irish TREATY
TO Be VERY CLOSE
Majority in Favor Will De-
pend on Abstentions,
Not Conversions.
HINGES ON A REPUBLIC
Unanimity UnquestiOnable
in Country, Which Was
Never So United.
STREET SONGS OF PEACE
Christmas Spirit Relieved to
Great Extent Feeling of
Tension.
STREET SONGS OF PEACE

Special Gable to THE New YORK HERALD.
Copyright, 1929, BY THE New York HERALD.
DUBLIN, Jan. with twelve days
of respite from the debate in connec-
ton with the treaty creating the Free
State of Ireland" members of the Dali
Eireann returning for the resumption
of the sessions tomorrow indicate
that despite the great popular demand
for ratification tLe vote viii be very
close.
AS to the leaders of the DAHL THE
New York HERALD correspondent dis
covered all efforts to reach a COM
promise between them have failed and
new flood of bitter oratory may be
expected tomorrow. Optimists fig
ure that there will be at least three
days of talk before a vote is taken.
The issue will be between straight
ratification and an outright demand
for a republic. 1t is anticipated that
the result will be affected largely by
the number of the Dali members who
abstain from voting.
Country Is Unanimous.
Outside the Dali the unanimity in
Ireland is unquestionable. Perhaps
never before in the memory of living
Irishmen has the country been so
truly united or any important issue.
The churches are for peace. business
Is for peace, traders and shopkeepers
are for peace and even the people in
the streets have been singing-for the
Irish must always sing-about the
wonderful possibilities before the
country living in peace. when There
Is Peace in Old Ireland" has been one
OF the Christmas carols here, and
while IL was not much as song. it re-
fiected the spirit of the people.
There is every indication that when
the Dali meets tomorrow there will be
in that assembly far different spirit
than that which II knew when II adj
journed for the holidays Then the pros
pect of adjournment and the Christmas
spirit relieved TO a great extent the
feeling OF deadly earnestncss and the
tension caused by the knowledge that
the decision would be a fateful one.
There still are more than three score
members OF the Dali who desire to speak
on the treaty. Michael Collins wants
them all heard.
70 Counties Ask Approval.
Tho voice of the Irish people which
Mr.. Griffith and Mr.. Collins hoped would
be expressed during the recess has been
heard. in that at least twenty-five coun-
ties have called on their representatives
in the Dali TO endorse the treaty. Even
have been requested by their constitu-
encies 10 change their attitude regard
ing the treaty and vote for ratification
This opens debatable point as to
whether the representatives in the Dali
should obey their own conscience or the
voice of their electors and there s.
reason TO believe many members who
are In such a predicament will rather
abstain from voting than go on record
against the treaty in the face OF these
public expressions.
Michael Collins seems buoyant. fun of
confidence. busy and determined. When
seen by THE NEW YORK HERALD corre-
spondent here to-day he declared the
treaty was going through.
Mr.. de Valera. when seen az the Man
sion House, wore the worried, nervous
look which he has been unable 10 shake
off since the Sim Fein delegates re-
turned to Dublin from London.