The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-04
Toward a United Ireland

Toward a United Ireland
Much surprise was occasioned by
the discovery that the Irish flag is
blue instead of green-also much
disappointment Over here it SEEM
ed entirely out of drawing for the
Irish Free State, when after sew
eral centuries it finally acquired
the right to a flag, to hoist one
not of the emerald shade with
which Ireland has always been as
ISOLATED. Then a bright Ameri-
can paragrapher proposed a way
out of the difficulty-why not mix
the Ulster Orange with the Free
State blue and produce an Irish
green? The astonishing success Of
the impromptu conferences between
Michael Collins, head of the Provi-
sional Irish government, and Sir
James Craig, premier of Ulster,
suggests the idea that perhaps the
advice of the American has been
acted on
Hopeful as the acceptance of the
Irish treaty was, cit was realized
that there could be no satisfac-
tory solution while the country was
divided against ITSELF" and, the
Wilkes Barre Record notes, ulster
appeared to be as irreconcilable as
it was in the most fiery period of
agitation for separation" But per-
haps, in spite of every appearance
TO the contrary" the Baltimore Sun
70 &c nf irif
of nationality in Ireland than out
siders have supposed, and an Irish
mans an Irishman for a that,
whether he lives in Belfast or Dub
lin" Instead of the years of eau
tious negotiation" which even the
most hopeful believed would be re-
Quired ito reach a safe harbor of
mutual forbearance and under
standing, Collins and Craig have
''in sixty minutes outlined the basis
of a mOdus Vivendi."
Agreement on Fine Points.
That basis is an agreement COW
ering five salient points, which the
Waterbury Republican gives thus ::
"A satisfactory solution of a
means for determining the bound
airy between Ulster and South Ire
land is reached; boycotts are ban
ned and measures of relief for IN
employed promised; the two gov
ernments will cooperate to settle
the railroad strike; they will try to
devise a more suitable instrument
than the council of Ireland for deal
ing with problems affecting all Ire
land"
Ulster has been hard hit by the
boycott of its products in the Sim
Fem section of the island" the De-
troit Journal states; the paper OF
Belfast banks has been refused in
South Ireland, an embar-
RAISING thing for the banks It is
especially to BelfaSt's interest to
settle the affair and the fact that
| it must do so in connection with the
Free State government has broken
down Ulster confidence in social
and industrial, as well as political,
aloofneSs."
The most immediate policy form
ulated by the representatives of the
two governments at their accident
all meeting arranged by Lloyd
George, is that of determining the
boundary between North and South
Ireland. AS the Boston Herald pre-
sents this problem, it is an intri-
cate one of give and take, and if
they succeed in a friendly delim-
itation" they Will have performed
"a remarkable feat and a very
great service to both parts of the
island" for their agreement may
Lead to general cooperation, per-
maps to ultimate union" That it will!
result at least in cooperation the
New York Tribune has no doubt,
for much more than the tracing OF
frontier is involved" since rail
roads and postal services and trade
do not like to stop at artificial Dor
ders when once those living on both
sides have become accustomed to
unrestricted movement. Econom-
les insensibly heal the wounds OF
politics"
And that there is a community
of interest between North and South
Ireland that no amount of political
prejudice can eliminate" is clear to
the Norfolk Virginian Pilot In fact,
they have already found common
interests and problems which they
must face together. the Buffalo Ex-
press observes, the threatened
railroad strike, for instance"
1t is significant. in the opinion
of the Newark News, that North
ern Ireland has evidently accepted
the Irish Free State as permanently
established" for lit is there and
the only wise course is to
make the best of it" And more sig
nificant still is the almost incred-
ible evidence, as the ST Louis
Globe-Democrat sees it, that North
and South Ireland are preparing for
common understanding without
any help from London" for appar-
emily, collins and Craig, on talking
things over. have decided they do
not want any British arbiter." In
a word as the New York Globe
puts it, the new machinery OF gov
eminent for united Ireland will
be built by Irishmen." Thus Irish