Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-26
Will There Be War in Ireland?
(Rnston TranScrintl

The impression under which Amer
leans have rested that the storm and
stress between Ulster and the rest of
Ireland were over is likely to be dis
turbed ere long. The question Of the
boundary between Ulster and the
Free State is not yet settled, and if
the frequent declarations of all the
public men. all the newspapers, and
virtually all of the Protestant people
OF Ulster are to be taken at their face
value, the question is not going to be
settled the way the British Govern
ment has agreed with the Free State
that it shall be settled. The situa-
ton is this: In the counties OF Fer
managh and Tyrone. now included in
the de facto jurisdiction OF the
Northern or Ulster Government.
there Is admittedly a Roman Cath
Ole majority, and that majority
would vote for the inclusion of the
two counties in the Irish Free State.
The treaty between the British
Government and the Irish Free State.
which has been accepted by the ma
jority Of the people of Catholic Ire
land. and under which they are now
loyalty living, having after much
strife and woe performed their part
OF the contract, provides that a pie
biscite of the people Of the disputed
territory-that Is to say, the coun-
ties of Fermanagh and Tyrone-shall
determine whether these counties are
to remain under the Northern Gov
eminent or be transferred to the Free
State. But the Ulster people, being
well convinced that the majority
would vote for the Free State, are
firmly determined that no such pie
biscite shall take place. They base
their claim to the counties on his
torical and other circumstances. They
say that it is not merely a question
OF majorities. They constantly re-
iterate the statement that IS per cent
OF the ratepayers in the disputed dis
trict and rs per cent Of the employ
ers of labor are in favor of Ulster
in other words, that the matter
should be decided according to the
wealth and position Of citizens in the
community rather than by numbers
They further say that the region af-
fected Is historically Protestant, and
that the counties are necessary to
the maintenance Of Ulster autonomy.
And they further say, quite plainly
and positively, that the Protestant
Inhabitants will under no conceiv-
able circumstances" permit the sec
ton or any part of it to be transfer
red.
This position is of course a chal-
1enge of force. The Ulster people
fatty declare that they do not and
will not recognize the treaty between
Great Britain and the Free State.
They make the same threat of war
IKE resistance that they made when
II was proposed to include all Ulster
in home-ruied all-Ireland. Their
threat prevailed on that occasion,
and Ulster was separated from the
rest OF Ireland. They count on sim
liar submission now. Whether, under
the influence of the counsel Of Lord
Carson, Sir James Craig and other
leaders, who are understood to have
oeen in aHicable conference with
President Cosgrave on the subject,
they will come down from their high
morse. and consent to some sort of
splitting up OF the disputed territory
between the two parties remains to
DC seen. There has now been peace
ana security in Ulster for a long
time. Ulster needs a continuation of
mat peace. Her traders and manu-
facturers also need the market of
Cathoiic Ireland. In spite Of tall
tax, 1t does not seem likely that the
people will now challenge actual war
with the Free State or persist in q
Iorc1ble defiance of the DEGREES of the
British Government.