Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1922-06-16

DUBLIN, lrland. June lO-Noters
of southern Ireland went to the polls
today 10 elect an Irish parliament as
provided under the terms OF the Anglo
lr.sh treaty
The Anglo.Irish treaty, signed last De-
ccmber, under which the irish Free State
Is being created, provided for the forma-
tion Of an Irish Parliament. The act TO
give the Treaty effect. passed by the
British Parliament in March, stipulated
that elections to n provisional parlia-
ment for the Free State should be held
las soon as may be" after the passage
of the act. These are the elections be-
ing held in Ireland today. The Parlia-
ment so elected is 10 pass upon the Con-
stitu,ion for the Free State under when
permanent parliament for Southern Ire
land will be chosen.
Lacking any constitutional division oil
the country into districts for the present
election, the act of the British Parlia-
ment stipulated that the prospective
members be nominated from the CON
s,ltcncies which elected members to the
Parl .ament chosen under the Govern
were held in Southern Ireland that
year under this act, but the Parliament
never came into being. Instead the
members elected were declared by the
Irish Republican Government al that
time 10 constitute the membership Of the
Dali Eireann. or Republican Parliament,
which, since the adoption of the Anglo
hish treaty. has been allowed by the
Brit. sh government TO function as vir-
tualiy the recognized Legislative body
for Southern Ireland. Ii was the Dali
Eurain, for instance, which passed upon
the Anglo-Irish treaty itself, ratifying
il, as will recalled, by majority OF
seven votes.
II was contemplated by the British
government. and originally by the Irish
Provisional government headed by Mich
ael Collins, that today's elections should
be freely contested and should virtually
constitute a plebiscite of Southern Ire
land on the question of the treaty and
the proposed constitution. The opposi-
tion To such a plebiscite on the part
of the Republican faction, led by Fam
onn de Valera, was so determined. how
ever. that late in May an agreement was
reached between the Collins and dc Val
era factions that candidates previously
agreed upon should be nominated by the
two factions, comprising virtually an
official slate. the members being chos-
en- in the proportion in which the two
factions are now represented in the Dali
Eireann, or with slight preponderance
for the Collins party.
The new parliament will form a Coal
tion cabinet, drawn from the pro-trca'y
faction under Michael Collins, and the
anti-treaty forces under Eamonn de Val
era. An agreement reached in May by
Collins and de Valera provided, among
other things. for "a cabinet of eleven
members including the President and
the Minister of defense. The nine 9th
ar members will be selected five from
the majority party and four from the
nenority party, each party To choose ITS
nominees.
The fractional agreement of May
brought about halt in the aggressive
fight being waged by the de Valera fac
tion against the Provisional government
At the same time il was received with
something like Consideration in British
governmental circles. Ii Was believed
In England that ID struck at the basis
of the treaty in the preventing free eX-
preston of Southern irish opinion on the
pace and that il might represent alsc
the yielding Of the Collins faction 10 the
militant anii-treaty party. which has
been insistent that the fight for a r..
public be kept up.
Ia this situation the British aluthorit
les asked the leading representatives q,
the Provisional government to come {,
London for conference, and lengthy
conversations between cabinet member.
and the Irish representatives took place
there during the week of May p. a,
result Colonial Secretary Winston
Churchill. in speech in the Common:
on June |, announced what was virtual,
the decision of the British government
TO let the elections proceed As arrange,
by the two factions in ireland. This wa
coupled. however. with the warning tha
If any Of the members of the coalition
government for ireland. representing
10th factions. constituted upon the basi.
of the elections. should fail to subecrib,
10 the declaration of adherence TO tn
treaty. the British government woal'
consider that this constituted a viola
tion Of the treaty. The British govern
ment would feel free in that case, h,
said, To resume full liberty Of action a
TO reclaiming the powers ccded 20 th
Irish authorities under the treaty.
tContinued on Page Threr)