New-York tribune., 1922-01-16
Provisional Cabinet to
Assume Administration
of South Erin With De-
parture of the British
Griffith Confident
OF Support at Polls
Sim Fein to Determine
Fateof Movement at Scs-
sion i'm Dublin Feb. Z
By Arthur S. Draper


Copyright. 1922, New York Tribune Inc.
DUBLIN, Jan. 15.-The provisions
Cabinet Of South ireland, headed by
Arthur Griffith, tomorrow will assume
the responsibility of government.
tamon J. Duggan, Foreign Minister.
will meet Niscount Fitz Alan, Lord
Lieutenant, at Dublin Castle TO take
formal possession Of that scat Of ad
in the name Of the Irish
Free State. The British authorities.
having transferred the rcins Of power
to Irish hands, viii retire from the
country. immediately thereafter viii
begin tho process Of reorganizing and
building up tho personnel Of tho varl-
GUS government departments.
Grlffith's provisional government il
not nearly SO worried about the fu-
turc as one might expect after hear
ing the threats from the De Valera
fifth nor Michael Collins, leaders Of
tho provision administration, be
lieves that the country will vote down
the Free State IN preference for n re
public at the general cicculon which
will be held late in the spring They
anticipate many difficulties, but IN the
last few days they have grown con
tident that the Free Statcrs Will be
Look for unionists' Aid
Not only arc they sure that tho ma
iority of Sim Fcincrs will get behind
them, but they tccl that the Unionists
and Laborites Will cooperate with
them against those whose policy to-
day rs one of opposition to the Free
State
GriFith's Cabinet is receiving just
as strong support from The tnionist st
press in the south of Ireland rs he
is from the Sim Fcin papers, some Of
which formerly were Nationalist or
gans. In all Ireland De Valera has
only ono paper behind him, "'The Re
public of Ireland,' edited by William
j. Mellowcs, who has proved himsel
one Of the ablcst members of the Dali
Eireann, and that fact Will tell heavily
against tho pro-treaty party in the
Forthcoming election.
The split IN Sim Fcin is resulting
in an alliance between the Unionists
and the Free Statcrs, and the harde /
the republican fight the stronger will
become this union between two whllom
political enemies.
De Valera has burned his bridges
and there seems to be no possibility
go over to Griffith's side before the
election, although some of the Free
Stators are trying desperately to win
them. Undoubtedly b few republic
cans will be returned to the Free
State Parliament at the election, bu.
it is difficult to see what role. they
could play there, if any.
Cannot Act Without Oath
The republicans insist that under
no circumstances Will they take tho
oath of allegiance contained in the
Anglo-Irish treaty, and unless they do
take it they will not be eligible to sit
in the assembly, just as the Sim Fem
ers who were elected to the British
Parliament at Westminster could not
sit there because they wouldn't take
the required oath.
De Valera would be powerful oppo-
sition leader in the Parliament of the
Irish Free State, but if he is elected
and refuses to take the oath he cannot
fill that place
The next election undoubtedly viii
result in more representative gath
ering of 1rishmcn than the Dan
Eireann ever had The majority II
that body are either farmers or clerkS
whose chief qualifications at the time
Of their election was their personal
bravery or their loyalty as republicans
The Labor party will have some repre-
scntatvos in the Free State Paria
ment and there is a possibility that
some of the old type Of Nationalist
may be elected. 1t is certain that th'
professions will be better represented
than they are in the Dali Eireann, ant
consequently the intellectual level o.
the new gathering Will be considerably
higher.
Sim Fein to Meet February
Before the end of January the 5000
district organiza tions of Sim Fem VII
select delegates to the general assem-
bly Of that party. to be neld in Dublin
February 7, where the future of th'
Sim t'cin movement will be decided
AS these delegates will carry instruc
Continued on page three)
CC r. T