Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-02
FAITH IN THE TREATY is
THE SAFEGUARD OF IRELAND
How Deep This Is ls Shown by coilins'
and Griffith's Acceptance Of Winston
Churchilrs Warpino "a Ev<esn.is<s

. warning 10 EUtFemiUt0
PELlEF that the majority of the Irish
- people are eager for the execution of the
treaty whereby the Free State to be erected
will become member Of "the group Of
nations forming the British common wealth
Of nations is an invaluable safety valve
in situation overstocked with political
explosives
Confidence in the virtue Of the compact
produced last December at the peak of a
crisis has obviously restrained the some.
times intemperate Winston Churchill. whose
review of Irish affairs presented to the
House Of Commons is candid and grave,
but unmarried by turbulence.
Among his most interested listeners on
Wednesday. in seats reserved for distin.
guished strangers, were Michael Collins and
Arthur Griffith. They heard the recent
accommodation with the De vsera faction
denounced as striking directly at the pro.
visions of the treaty They heard from
IN" lips of the Colonial Secretary the decla-
ration that breach of the December agree.
ment would be held by the Imperial Gov.
eminent TO justify the resumption of pro.
portionate liberty Of action
This warning. of course. means nothing
less than reoccupation of Irish territory
by the British in the event Of treaty In.
fraction.
Yet both Mr.. Collins and Mr.. Griffith.
the former Of whom is chiefly responsible
for establishing the alliance with Irish
extremist repubCan- to which Mr..
Churchill objects, pronounced the latter's
discourse as perfectly fair"
lhe ostenstble paradox in this estimate
by these two Irish leaders is removable only
By remembering that they and Mr.. Churchill
and the British Government are working
toward an identical end.
1t is a difference in methods which pro.
drces the apparent confusion. 1t may fur.
ther be said that 1t is disparity of rro.
cedure which has rendered the adjusting of
Ireland to the new order so painful and
seemingly prolonged.
1t is the fashion with nations that have
solved their fundamental problems in gov
ernment to regard the struggles of other
peoples toward q groundwork of new nd.
ministration with skepticism and some dis.
dain. Utilizing the convenient caption of
finished history the English, for exam.
pie, are prone to dismiss lightly the old
conflict Of Cavaliers and Roundheads. the
bitterness and antasontsm engendered by the
revolution of 1858 and the intensity of the
struggle over the Reform Bill of 1892
In America, pride in the processes of self.
government-conf1ict between principles and
practice Notwithstanding - is undminlshed
by the recollection through the chronicers
OF the chaotic period between the close of
the Revolution and the adoption of the
Constitution and the stormy contest vaged
over that basic instrument. 1t is of record
moreover, that the spirit of the Constitution
was not clearly defined until an epic civil
war had been fought.
While such instances Of disSenslon in rho
establishment of democratic institutions do
not necessarily constitute excuses for strife
and turbulence, they do at least counsel
| patience, liberation and sympathetic under
standing IN respect to similar struggles by
politically younger peoples entering upon
the day of opportunity.
There has long been disposition in this
| country 10 be contemptuous of our Latin
neghbors'!n their endea vors to master some
trying problems Of government. Side by
side with much sentimental sympathy for
| Ireland there Is often a tendency 70 view
with self sufficient alarm each setback or
mispay in It's difficult approach to stabilized
emancipation.
II is only seven months since the treaty
proposing the Irish Free State was nero.
tiated. Considering that Rhode Island nre
ferred isolation to union with her sister
States from 1857 to 1890, the period Of
cross.purposes and dispute in Ireland has
not been proportionate!y long.
The ad interim administration. as Mr.
Churchill calls IT, has been vexed win
problems demanding the utmost exercise of
patriotism, political discernmpnt and stntes.
manship Mr.. Collins and Mr.. Griffith
among others, have labored hcrocallv n
speed up the machinery whereby the Free
State Will be duly set up and fortified with
a constitution.
They have been forced to cortend With
an embarrassing multiplicity of adyers,
forces including those dominated BY i'm
practical v!sionaries and honest idealists
by selfish politicians, by religious bisots
by chronic marplots and by dlsorderly on.
portunists. Rowdyism and brutality bay.
capitalized the situation as they have in
variably under analogous circumstances III,
world over.
Save for the vote early last winter bv m,
Dali Eireann, the voice of the Irish peonl
as whole has enjoyed comparatively sem
opportunity to be heard on the subject q
the Free State autonomy. The Ulster com
plcation and the ease with which this On
be utilized to serve the purposes of trouble
makers have prolonged some of m
most unfortunate features of the case.
Michael Collins negotiation with n
Valera and his republicans of n formu,
of election and ministerial procedure 4,
wolves a point of extreme dellcacy wbic
MIR. Churchill Is right to regard wi,
gravity. AS an expedient to suppress dio
|, orders and the outrages Of consclencsI.,
! bandits and hooligans in the South Of Iro
land, denounced by both factions, 1t ma
? be useful.