Evening star., 1924-07-14

WItnln a IeW Gays T. IfiinlSIcr pIenf-
potentiary from the Irish Free State will
arrive in Washington, duly accredited BY
his majesty, George ", King Of the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and
| Ireland and Of the British dominions
| across the seas and Emperor Of India.
Some time Parliament will change that
| title, at the urgency Of the Free State.
| SO that 1t will cease to read King Of the
United Kingdom Of Great Britain and
Ireland" but will be simply king Of
Great Britain and Of the British dosnin.
| ions across the seas" etc, for the Irish
| Free State Is no longer part Of any
United Kingdom" she Is a dominion.
like Canada, South Africa, New Zealand
| and Australia.
f. The new minister plenipotentiary will
| be the first minister who has ever rep
| resented a dominion of the British en-
! pire In any foreign country His appear
ance will emphasize the closing Of one
| volume of history and the opening of an
! other.
The former is a tragic story. covering
| the longest war that has ever been
waged-a. war between England and Ire
| land beginning In the twelfth century
and ending less than two years ago in
| Irish victory. This victory OF status Of
| dominion is not quite that for which the
Sein Feiners fought ;. they wanted re-
public absolutely Independent Of Great
| Britain. But the present status is hailed
by most of the Irisch people Except the
| Protestants Of Ulster) as SO great q
| grant of liberty and self-government
that they rejoice in II as the fruit Of
| racial struggle of the centuries.
| The second volume of history will tell
| the story Of a new nation taking its in
| heritance of civilization amongst the
| nations Of the world and stepping for
ward with the march Of national liberty
and progress.
The Irish minister will have to do
only with matters affecting excIu-
sively the Irish Free State. The
British ambassador will have no
jurisdiction over him. nor be re-
sponsible for his acts or treaties. 1t
is optimistically expected that the
| ambassador and Irish minister will
work in harmony and close consulta-
| ton whenever a subject is under
| affecting only the Irish Free State.
might develop in such a way as to
| involve later other parts of the Brit
| ish empire. If any question arises as
| to whether matter does affect more
Ethan merely the Irish Free State, and
the ambassador and Irish minister
cannot agree upon that point. both
Representatives must refer IT to their
| respective governments for decision.
Therein, will lie questions Of great
diplomatic delicacy, demanding pa
| tience and breadth of diplomacy to
avoid conflict and friction between
the empire and the state. The Tories
| of England are not happy over the
London to the Freeman's Journal of
Dublin. reporting proceedings in
Parliament. appears the following:
| Lord Curzon and Lord Selborns
protest against allowing separate
diplomatic ministers to the domin-
ions, on the ground that the British
| interests may be prejudiced. The
! government and its predecessor. how
| ever. have wisely decided that the
dominions can not be refused any
gard necessary for their own inter
| ests."
An editorial in the same issue
points out that
| The Marquis Curzon was a mem.
Der of the government that acknowl-
edged Canada's right to have her
own repre- sentative at Washington.
He was also a member of the gov
eminent that made. the Irish treaty.
He is. therefore. doubly bound to re-
! Spect the principle at which he cavllS.
But he was also foreign minister
and the foreign office did all it could
| to obstruct Canada's claim to inde-
| pendent representation. He would
now apparently try to go back upon
| the acknowledgment Of Canada S
right by challenging Irefands right
He would strike at Canada through
Ireland. as Lord Selborne would
strike at Ireland through Canada.
That is a dangerous game for super
imperialists.
''It is only half the truth, and the
less important half Of the truth. to
| say that Canada has not exercised
| the right. 1t is true that Canada
has not established a separate min
| lister pienipotentiary at Washington
but when Canada wanted to make a
| separate treaty with the American
| republic she sent her own repre-
sentative to Washington. who signed
a treaty in her name, Independent Of
the British representative. That
right than any location Of a per
manent ministry in Washington
| would have been.
| Lord Arnold met the challenge to
Ireland's right on the merits. apart
treaty. He asserted that the Irish
are almost as great and special as
| those of Canada herself. The
| republic has recognized the separat-
ness of the Free State by assigning G
it SEPARATE quota for immigratien.)