The New York herald., 1922-06-25

on TIE planet. fearing only God. for
they are mostly fervent Catholics.
The constitution just published is
likely strongly TO reinforce the Re-
publican troops. whether they call
themselves Free Staters or Repub-
licans proper. What they have re-
peatedly told me is that they will take
no oath of fidelity; that they will not
come inside the British Empire (the
national agreement to come inside the
British Empire for the first time in
Irish history is really the backbone of
the whole Republican objection to the
treaty., and that the Kings veto upon
Irish bills makes it unthinkable.
Don't forget that the constitution is
really the treaty in actual application
and that Ireland has not yet accepted
the former, nor held any election upon
the latter, under the adult suffrage
franchise. 1t is of the essence of the
Republican claim. whether by De Va
leraites or red hot Republicans, that
no election in Ireland upon the ac-
ceptance or the rejection of the treaty
can be binding until the old register is
scrappcd and a new register made up,
which will include all the younger
fighting men, who in the main are
Republicans and against the treaty.
l know it to be the view OF one Of
the chief election officers in Dublin
that we shall see another general cleo
ton within a couple of months. II 1t
comes /. will be upon a new full
register; nor is it easy to see how
England could object to it constitu-
tionally. If the Republicans then won
we should see the witches caldron
boil over Personally, l don't believe
they would win.
The man who is to-day the man,
with the exception of Cathal Brugha,
who has the greatest influence with
the army, but who will not allow his
name to be used at this juncture. told
me a few days ago: I'D rather see
the British forces occupying Ireland
just now and stopping all economic
life than to have the treaty"
Well, the British forces are occupy
ing Ireland. despite all evacuation.
Dublin has never been so full of khaki
and 1t is the belief of many Republi-
cans that regiments are coming in on
every steamer. But this last is an
exaggeration, although there can be
little doubt that the British Govern
ment, not unnaturally, is unwilling,
with things in the present position, to
denude ireland of her troops.
Holding Ont for Republic.
One Of the heads of the Republican
irregulars and a member of the Dali
said to me the other day that they
(the Republicans) were so sure Of in
the long run killing the treaty that
even If England offered Ireland ''the
right of secession" from the empire
they would not accept 1t as a final set
tlement. What these Republican
heads are rightly or wrongly feeling
signed the treaty for Ireland kept a
stiff upper lip and held out better Ire
land would have got a republic, one, it
is true, inside of the empire, but with
the right of secession.
Charles Burgess himself said to me
that Lord Birkenhead obviously was
preparing the way out when in his fa-
nous speech just before the signature
of the treaty he had stated that under
no circumstances could they go back
to war with Ireland"
These are the facts behind the pres
ent situation and the determination Of
the Republicans to keep the Free State
from functioning. Two other men Ire
land can count upon in their final po-
sition apart from the extreme Repub-