The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-03-03
HAPPIER DAYS FOR IRELAND

Absence of alarming news from Ireland these
last few days has resulted in more optimistic feel
ing to the progress made in bringing about
peaceful solution Of the Irish problem. Possibly the
recent division in the British House Of Commons
on the second reading of the Irish Free State bill
when the bill was passed. after a stormy debate.
by vote of 302 to so. has had much to do with
restoring world confidence despite all the friction
that has for centuries kept Ireland in a turmoil
and the remainder of the British empire on the
anxious seat he minority made up Of the
members from Ulster, few hard-headcd Union
lists, some Liberals and Laborites and small rem
nant of Irish Nationalist. 1t is to be expected
that after this show of strength by the government
of Premier Lloyd-George the remaining stages of
official procedure will be comparatively easy and
that before great while the bill will be given
its third and final reading and become law.
Students of history will find special interest in
the impending change, the relative Importance of
which may not be thoroughly understood and ap-
preciated.' Fer instance it means new chap
ter in world history There will hereafter be no
United Kingdom CT Great Britain and Ireland"
place as free state but still be portion of the
Brtish empire on much the same basis as Australia
and Canada. 1t also means that Ireland will
cease to be represented in the British parliament
a representation that has been recognized and ex-
ercised for one hundred and twenty years in both
the House of Commons and the House Of Lords
In future the term Great Britain will mean, strictly
speaking. the three kingdoms of England, Wales
and Scotland. The crowns of Scotland and Eng
land were merged when, in 1903. James vi of
Scotland became. as the legal heir of Queen
Elizabeth, James | Of England. 1t was the de-
sire and ambition of James to have the event of
his accession to the throne marked by change
of title. so he had his way and became king of
Great Britain. At that time Scotland and Eng
land had separate parliaments until the Union
act was passed in 1907 in the reign of Queen
Anne and it was not until 300, in the reign of
George III that the Irish parliament was abolished
and the title Of the whole combination of England,
Wales. Scotland and Ireland became the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland"
While this is making history, the task is by no
means completed. Amicable relations still have to
be established between certain sections cf the Irish
people and this will have to come about by
policy of give and take. To show that this pro-
gram has actually been started, it is only neces-
sary to refer to the talk made by Governor John
l urner CT ampa at recent meeting of the Lake
land Rotary Club, in which he gave an outline
ct the world conference of International Rotary at
Edinburgh last spring. attended by Rotary dele
gates from londonderry Belfast Dublin and
Cork who exchanged friendly greetings and
learned to know another as brothers Later
in the year Dublin ard Belfast exchanged visits.
all going to show that with the proper encourage
ment and cultivation basis of lasting friendship
and good will can be established through the SIM
pie process of reaching a right understanding Of
one another's aims and objects DeValera is
about out of it, due to his ulra-radica position,
so that with the elimination of the professional
agitatcr the ordinary course of time may be count
ed en- as ally in establishing lasting peace
through To natural processes of society and bust.
ness. There sure to be inter-marriases be-
tween representatives of the present contending
elements; economic pressure may be counted on to
promote mutual trade relations so that in genera