New-York tribune., 1922-01-05
President Says He Will
Call Up Amendment
for Adoption; Warns
Irish Against Betrayal
Storm Breaks in :
Dali Over a Vote
Collins and Griffith Assert
Pact Must Be Put 10
Ballot Without Change
By Arthur S. Draper

by Arthur >. Draper
Special Cobls Dispatch to The Trihuns
Copyright. 1922. Nav York Trfbun. Irc
DUBLIN, Jan. 4-The climax If
the long historic debate over the
Anglo-1rish treaty will be reached in
Dali Eireann tomorrow. Eamon de
Valera served notice to-day that he
would introduce his alternative peace
plan, known as Document No. %
as an amendment to the treaty to-
morrow, and also issued manifesto
to the Irish people appealing to
them not to be betrayed through the
settlement signed in London. The
text Of De Valera's alternative pro-
posals later was made public.
A vote is bound to be taken to-
morrow, and it should settle definite
~ the question of whether ireland is
to be free state or sink back into 2
period of uncertainty and unsettle-
ment worse, perhaps, than existed
before the truce was declared and
the prolonged negotiations started.
1t was strikingly evident to-day that
the Dali had reached the breaking
point.
De VaIera's Proclamation
De Valera's proclamation tonight
began:
Fellow citizens, you are In danger.
Influences more deadly to a nation
faced by an enemy than plague in the
ranks Of its army are at work amongst
you. The cry Of peace, peace will not
bring you peace now any more than it
would year ago, and those who shout
it will lead you not to peace but to an
other betrayal
There follows fierce attack on the
Irish press for its support OF the treaty 4
and an appeal to the people not to be i
misled by "innuendo and talk, quibbles
and shadows"
In many respects it is the most SEN
sational document ever signed by De
Valera and unless ] misread the signs
the Irish people will interpret it as the
last WOr0 O. Dcaten leader
De Valera's alternative proposal,
which was placed before the Dali to-
day, contains two striking differences
from the treaty.
First, he would have the legislative,
executive and judicial authority in Ire
land come solely from the people OF
ireland, and consequently the country
would be free to establish its own form
of government, though even he would
have it associated with the states OF
the British commonwealth This is
what is described as external associa-
ton" 81.
No Mention of Oath
Second, there is no mention Of an
oath of any kind.
Otherwise De Valera's plan follows
the lines laid down in the treaty for
the government of Ireland
;. Naturally all the "dichard'' repub
licAAN could accept these proposals.,
but there is not the slightest possl,
blllty of their acceptance by the Brit
ism government. They save De Valeras
face and would permit him to go down
with flag flying, but it is almost GER
tain that they have not the slightest
practical value at this stage of the
situation.
The confusion in the Dali reached its
highest pitch in the last ten minutes
before adjournment this evening. De
Valera, pale, irritable and irascible.
had given notice that he would move
tomorrow the adoption of his alterna-
tive proposal as an amendment to the
treaty. One of the speakers had crjti-
cizcd sharply De Valera's tactics IN
America, and said he had given away
the Irish republic by his methods
there.
s'lf this is true" the Sim Fein pres
ident retorted hotly, Il deserve i'm
peachment. l protest against the
charge and brand it as untrue. l defy
anybody, here or in America, to point
out where / have deviated one iota.
publicly or privately, from the ideals Of
the republic"
To Michael Collins, leader of the
Sim Fein army, who frequently has
entered the lists with De Valera. the
republican president said: 81 protest
against the insinuation that I have
given away anything"
Vote on Treaty First
Then the storm broke. Collins, Ar
thur Griffith, De Valera and half
dozen deputies were on their feet at
the same time, with the Speaker max
ing little effort to preserve order.
Collins said a vote must be taken on
the treaty first, and Griffith said unani-
nous consent OF the Dali must be OBJ
tanned before any change could be made
in the order of the day, holding that
Document No. 2" had been SO altered
that it did not correspond with the
measure on the agenda.
"You are quibbling, Minister of
Finance, quibkling!" De Valera shout
ed, and several deputies raised points
of order amid much confusion. Finally
the Speaker ruled that it would be in
order to move an amendment to the
Griffith resolution introducing tho
treaty, but not to the treaty itself.
There the matter ended for the day,
but it was perfectly apparent that the
hottest fight of all would come to-
morrow. The Dali is split SO wide that
there is no longer the slightest possi-
bility Of restoring harmony. Thirty
Ave members have spoken in favor Of
the treaty and thirty-four against thus
4op .~l