The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-03-27
Will Unfold Plan of In
tervention i'm Confer
ence Tomorrow.
CRAIG MAY REFUSE
TO ATTEND FARLEY
Extremists Defy Griffith,
And Hold Secret
Convention.

LONDON. March 26.-wuh or
ganized murder raids in progress
throughout the border counties OF
Ulster, clashes between Orangemen
and Sim Feiners reported over a
widespread area, political dissension
among the Northern leaders and
practically open revolt against the
prOvisinal government in the South
the British government on TueSday
Will take its first step toward in4
tervention. when il meets the Irish
leaders at the Colonial Office.
The attitude Of Sir James Craig.
premier OF Ulster. discouraEes the
hope OF an immediate settlement.
II is by no means certain. in fact.
whether he will accept the govern
ment's invitation TO London for
round-table discussion with the
Irish Free State delegates. His de-
cisiOn will be announced after to-
morrow's cabinet meeting. in Bel
fast.
Collins OF to London.
In the meantime. Michael Collins.
president Of the PROVISIONAL govern
ment. and Edmund J. DuEEan. one
of his principal advisers. will ar
rive in London tomorrow. leaving
behind them a critical situation in
which opponents Of the treaty are
doing their utmost to provoke a
public outbUrst against the Eree
State
II is reported that unless Premier
Craig receives assurances Of with =
drawal or modification Of the clause
in the Irish treaty providing for
alteration Of the Ulster border
which he claims is unfair. pre- 5udir-
ial. and partly responsible for the
present fighting along the frontier
he will decline to leave Belfast
CraiE's Aid NEEDED.
II Craig. however. refuses 10 an-
pear. the government will attempt
10 arrange. by negotiation with COL
lins and DuEEan. a program for
pacification of the troubled country.
THIS. Of course. will be exceedingly
difficult without CraiE's aid.
The governments plan. which will
be unfolded at the Colonial office.
is as follows:
In the event Of civil war. the Irish
delegates will he told. Great Brit
ain cannot possibly remain an uu-
Interested onlooker. hut viii be
forced once more to send EuEIfsh
troops to ireland to act impartially
against whichever side is the az
EreSSor.
To avoid this armed Intervention.
the government will urge tempo
rary agreement between North and
South whereby the Free state and
Ulster governments will undertake
to respect each others territory and
adopt Joint measures for the ma in
tenance of peace along the border.
Furtherin- this proposal the gov
erument will offer the use Of British
troops to patrol the war" area.
II only Collins and Grifhth are
present at what was intended to be
a three-Cornered rarloy. the gov
crnment's efforts probably Mil r"
confined largely To- an ate mnf TO
extract from the provisional lead
ers guarantees that Ulster viii not
be attacked 10y Free state troops.
Roth Are HamPcrcd.
The real difficulty behind any .n.
mediate solution. however, lies ~
the fact that neither Craig nor col
lins is the master Of his situation
at home. CQuCiliatory clemcUts iu
the North are hamPerinE Cral-'=
extremist actions Extremist i'.-
ments in the South ar" not nH.-
emharra ssin- ColllU,. hut have "-
ated a situation IN which the Pc
visional government is in grave
danger OF finding an armed msu.-
rcCtion on its hands
II is difficult to sec how the CnE-
ernmcnt by any mediation. Couai
heal the split i'm the Irish republic
an ARM. which became deGu-t" . 20
day when. in utter defiance OF tho
orders Of Arthur Griffith. republican
insurgents staged their treaty cuE
vcntion IN Dublin.
Meanwhile all dispatches from
ireland indicate that political aur
religious animosities have never
been as bitter as they arc at pres
ent