The Washington times., 1924-01-19
BOUNDARY
IN IRELAND
!. SINNERS
British Politics Have Much to
Do With Argument Over
Border.
BY DANIEL O'CONNELL.
International News Service.

international News Service.
DUBLIN, =. Jan. 10. - Strangely
enough, English politics may be
the determining factor in the con
troversy over the border line be
tween the Irish Free State and
Ulster.
The Anglo-Irish treaty, signed
On December 6, 1921, provided for
the settlement of the border ques'
ton by "a mixed commission. For
two years this provision has wait
Cd execution, but Ulster refuses to
name member to the commTS'
sion or admit its jurisdiction.
There are prospects OF the COM
mission meeting without Ulster
and handing down decision.
Whether Ulster will resort to
force of arms to oppose the find
ings Of the commission VIII de-
pend largely upon the strength
and influence OF the Conservative
party in England, according to the
best opinion in Ireland. Free
State Ireland feels that the Con-
servatives are friendly to Ulster,
whereas Labor. and the Liberals
are mope to be depended upon to
enforce the provisions of the 1921
treaty. With Conservative
party in power it is believed In
Dublin that Ulster might resort to
arms, but with either a Labor or
a Liberal government ii Is felt
Ulster would not dare to act in any
manner contrary to the wishes of
the mother country.
VIII Avoid Trouble.
Whatever decision is finally made
a. to the border the Irish Free
State probably will endeavor to
steer clear of trouble. President
Cosgrave will have a trump card
up his sleeve, for he can always
ask the British Government to
enforce the findings of the COM
mission, and under the terms Of
the treaty the Free State believes
it is the duty of Great Britain to
enforce the decision.
The Free State is not prepared
to wage war along the border, and
it does n ot want to. The Free
State arm y now numbers hardly
more than 100000 Ulster has no
SEulJS UuL IL I1dS d pOA4CO 1OlCc
which probably outnumbers the
Free State army and is well train
ed and equipped with all modern
weapons, of warfare. The Free
State army could readily be ex-
panded, and Soutn Ireland has a
greater man power to draw upon
than Ulster, but South Ireland
does not want to engage in any
struggle with its Northern breth-
ren for purely economic reasons,
il for no other.
Political Dispute.
The Irish Times, Unionist
and. Protestant organ, recently de-
clared: lin the past we believed
the differences which separated US
from our Catholic fellow country
men were religious, but now we
find they were political
President CosgraVe has recently
demonstrated that Ulster need
have no fear of religious preJu-
dices from the Free State. For ex-
ample, in his nomination to the
senate, the President made GER
tain that the Protestants of the
south would have representation
more than equal to their numbers,
and the chairman was named from
the Protestant membership. During
the last Irish election it was ap-
parent religions had been forgotten,
for predominantly Catholic centers,
such as Dublin and Cork, returned
Protestants to the Dali. The
Protestant community, on the
other hand, had lent aid to the
establishment of the Free Stare,
and the Protestant church organi-
xations have recently contributed
to Free State educational and
philanthropic activities. 1t rs
hardly believable the same toler-
ance has been shown in Ulster to.
ward Catholic or the Free State.
The Free State does not desire
any part of Ulster under the free
State banner, but it does desire
North and South Ireland banded
together as one great common
Neve it would be good business
State, but they have their doubts
about the hard-headed northerners
being willing to take such steI
even for the good of their own
poceketbooks.
ItOuDle LOOMS.
So the situation today stands as
one that is fraught with great pos
Uibilities. The border situation is
unsettled, and while it is unsettled
armed forces are on duty on either
side of the border. There are hot
headed individuals on either side
of the border, and it must be ad
mitted that local animosities run
high. An individual act Of vio
lence from either side of the bor-
der might provoke an outburst
that would lead to serious trouble
and it has been shown that small
outbursts can quickly develop into
serious trouble in Ireland.
Until the border question is set.
tied the Irish Free State cannot
rest entirely free Of prospects OF
future trouble.