Arizona republican., 1922-02-22
Rx FREDERIC ]. Haakin


WASHINGTON, D. C.-Only a part
OF the Irish situation was solved in
the acceptance of the Sim Fein OF
the creation OF the Irish Free State
There remains to be settled the ques-
ton Of the boundary between that
state and the northern section OF Ire
land known as Ulster. One of the
most important clauses in the agree
ment ratified by the Dali Eireann is
that providing for a boundary COM
mission to decide this matter if the
Free State and Ulster cannot do so
amicably.
The question OF this boundary is
exciting every lrishman in and out
Of Ireland. Michael Collins. head OF
the provisional government of the
Free State, has been quoted by Sir
James Craig premier of Ulster, with
having promised to bring into the
Free state almost one-half of what is
ordinarily known as Ulster. Further
more. a number of delegations from
widely separated sections of Ulster
have waited upon the men in charge
of the Free State government with
petitions asking that their portions OF
the Emerald Isle be included in the
Free State.
on this account, the initial settle
ment of the Irish troubles may be
only the forerunner OF serious dis
turbances in both sections of the is
land.
Some Ulstermen are said to have
decided upon defying the British gov
ernment in its proposal to turn over
thousands of Ulstermen 10 the Free
State. They are active in denounc-
ing Downing Street, charging that ii
Ia 90 ont xxsfth
Fein delegation to include large sec
tions of what has been accepted as
Ulster in the southern Irish do
minion.
Officials Of the Free State declare
they cannot refuse allegiSAce to any
section of the country, pleading to be
included in that state. They say that
if more than one-half the inhabi-
tants ask for entry into the new Free
State, then the Free State will be
forced to include them in its boun-
daries.
No Definite Boundaries
The fact is that Ulster has not and
never had any geographical lines.
The nine northern counties long have
been known as Ulster. SO far as his
tory is concerned, this section in
cluded Donegal, Londonderry and An
trim, which extended across the north
of the island from west to east;
Tyrone, Armagh and Down, all south
of the first three; and Fermanagh
Monaghan and Cavan, below these
But when the provisional boundary
was fixed by the Act of Parliament
OF 1920, Donegal on the northwest
was given to what is now the Irish
Free State. along with Cavan and
Monaghan, leaving Londonderry, An
trim. Tyrone, Down, Fermanagh and
Armagh as the six counties formins
Ulster.
According to what Sir James Craig
says. it has been decided by the Irish
Free state to include in that state
the whole of Fermanagh, Tyrone
goodly portions of Armagh and Down
as we'll as the cities of Londonderry
Enniskillen and Newry. London
derry City. with a population of 90
600 is a seaport on the northern
coast OF Ireland. Sir James is posi-
tive in his statement that the Free
State must not thus drive a wedge
between portions of Ulster.
If the line between Ulster and the
Free state is settled without much
bloodshed. it will be the first in
stance within the history of man that
a comparatively peaceful solution has
Deen redcneu OF so Important m
Irish problem Pugnacity and strife
regarding Ulster did not begin with
the plantation OF James I. as some
Irish have It. The earliest Irish
epics known as the "Tain Bo' is de-
voted to "scrapping" with Ulster. "It
is natural for MS to hate proud u
ster," quoth Queen Maev TO her
daughter in the ancient days when
there was nothing for them to fight
over except a brown bull. OF course
one side possessed the brown bull, or
"tain-b bo" and the other side wanted
it. which situation formed most ex-
cellent reason far bloody war in
Ireland.
Ancient Ulster Territory
From the time of Queen Maev un-
til centuries after Ulster was the
counties of Antrim. Down and n sec
ton of Louth. When the O'Neills
ruled in Tyrone, they generally had
one fight under way on the east and
another 70 their west They acquired
County Donegal in the western war
and captured County Ulster to the
cast. Then came the geograp pliers
and the man makers who labelled the
northern counties as Ulster. There
have been battles over some portion