Evening star., 1922-01-05
DE VALERAFLAYED
BY DUBLIN PRESS
Counter Proposals Said to Be
Wholly UnjustiIed-Due to
Vanity, One Claim.
By the Associn ted Press.

DUBLIN, January 5.-The astonish-
ment produced in the dali eireann by
F.amonn de Valera's sudden production
of his alternative proposals to the peace
treaty and his announced determination
to move them as an amendment to the
treaty at today's session have turned
into anxiety over the probable effect of
the move on the further proceedings in
the dail
Meanwhile strong condemnatory COM
ment appears in the Dublin newspapers.
An editorial in the Freeman's Journal
Those who hoped de Valera would
fight over his absurd document No. 3
are to be disappointed. The Irish peo-
ple will find no justification in his pub
lication for his criminal attempt to di-
vide the nation. His alleged alternative
to the treaty is no alternatives; IT con on
treaty has been assailed by the ideal
orators of the dali, only it is much
worse
Action Laid to Vanity.
The newspaper, seeking an expla-
ration of Mr.. De Valera's action,
SAYS it is apparently due to vanity,
and adds: He cannot forgive the
Irishmen who made the treaty for
their success, and for this he Is
ready to sacrifice the country. He
/ has not the instinct of the 1rishman
in his blood. II is the curse of Ire
land that its unity should be broken
by such a man acting under the ad-
vice of an Englishman who achieved
fame in the British intelligence serV-
ice. Gan apparent reference to Frs
kline Childers.) Document No. is
Irish people must stand up and be-
gir their freedom by giving their
fate into the hands of their own
countrymen."
The political correspondent of the
Freeman's Journal writes:
DE Valera. depending on the 10y
atty and devotion which center
which the people have placed him.
seems to be arrogating to himself
the right of an autocrat. His mani
festo struck historical note and
leaves one with the picture OF Dc
Valera shrieking treachery' in the
face of men like Collins. Griffith.
Mulcahy, McKeown, O'Duffy and
others whose lives have been risked
daily for their country. The alb
surdity of it would efface it's wick
edness in other circumstances. De
Valera's name alone seems to make
1t subject for comment.
Seeks to BE "Law Unto Himself"
The writer says Mr. De Valera by
himself and to propose the amend
ment, although he has already spoken
in debate"
"One felt" he adds, that the pro-
testing voice Of the man in the street
or the man in the fields found express
sion in Griffith's prompt challenge to
De Valera's assumption of a privilege
undreamed Of by any other member OF
the assembly. His (Grifnth's) charac-
terization of such claim as evidence
of an autocracy, which. II persisted in
would force the chairman of the plen-
ipotentiaries and those who support
him to quit the dali was the most
course of the controversy. NO such
situation has arisen in Irish affairs
since Charles Stewart Parnell's strug-
gle in committee room, No. Is (when
Parnell. as head of the Irish parlia-
mentary party in the house of COM
mons, refused TO allow a vote on mat
ter relating to himself
Despite all the high hopes for unity
and amity, nobody who was present
at the passage of arms which closed
last evenings debate could doubt that
the assembly stood on the verge of all
the disaster that is summed up In the
horrible little word split"
Mere Plan on Paper.
The Irish Independent also con-
demns document No. 3. although in
milder terms. '"The treaty signed last
December" it says. sis an actual
scheme capable of immediate applica-
ton, whereas De Valera's proposal is
merely a plan on paper and, even
though it may in some respects be
plenipot it Is not now within
the domain Of practical politics.
LAS far as the substance is cons
cerned. we fail to find much difference
between the treaty and the counter
treaty. Certainly there is no differ
ence material enough to warrant a
division and perhaps chaos or disaster
in the country"