Evening star., 1924-08-03

news of the world Tor the
Il seven days ended August 3
The British Empire.-There is pos
sibility of d political crisis in Great
Britain in consequence of develop
ments relating to the Irish boundary
question. The Ulster government per-
sists in it's refusal to appoint men,
ber to that boundary commission
which Ito consist of one member ap-
pointed by the British government,
one by the Free State government
and one by the Ulster governmenO.
| should, under the provisions of the
London treaty of 1921, which created
the Irish Free State, finally deter
mine the boundary between Ulster
and the Free State.
Not long ago the British privy
council referred to a judicial COM
| mittee of its appointment consisting
of one member each from England,
| Scotland, Canada, Australia and the
| Indian civil service) the delicate
question whether the boundary COM
| mission, lacking a member appointed
| by the. Ulster government. would
| have jurisdiction in the premises,
1
committee decided that for bound
ary commission legally to perform
| the functions contemplated i'm the
| London treaty without an Ulster
Westminster Parliament would be
necessary.
On August ! j. H. Thomas, the Brit
| ish colonial secretary, informed the
Commons that. unless the Ulster
government should at once make an
appointment to the boundary COM
ItsSHDa "fortHMith Introduce legislation to
give effect to the undoubted inten-
ton of the London treaty and would
consequences to themselves; i. e.
legislation to enable the COM
mission legally to function with
out an Ulster member. The bill. how
submitted until he had conferred
again with Premier Sir James Craig
of Ulster {now ilD in the hope of
winning him over
1t is obvious how controversy over
| such a bill might cause serious po-
liticai crisis in Britain. There is a
very strong sentiment in Britain
against coercion of Ulster" Sup
pose the bill to be passed by the Com
mons Oikely) and to be thrown out
might the House of Lords rock to it's
| ancient foundations, assailed by the
cry, Away with the lords. There
| would at the least be new general
elections. Aforetaste of what is like
| ly to come is furnished by tele-
| gram sent by prominent Ulstermen to
Mr.. Macdonald on July 81 protesting
| most strongly against new legisla-
ton on the boundary question, as
J foreshadowed in the press. Ulster
would regard such legislation as un-
| warranted interference with the
rights granted her under the 1920
act, the act which Lloyd George de-
| clared could not be abrogated with
| out listers consent That act, it will
be remembered (the government of
| ireland act of 1920, assigned to Ul-
ster the six Northern counties, in
cluding Tyrone and Fermanagh en-
| tire, to the which two counties the
dispute refers itself.
The British government has noti-
fed the governments of the United
States and Japan that in its opinion
alterations for the purpose of in
creasing the. elevation, and in con-
sequence the range, of guns on capi-
| tai vessels would traverse the Wash
| ington naval treaty. The provision
| of the treaty bearing upon this mat
| ter is as follows: mo alterations in
general type of mounting shall be
permitted 1t is a pretty question.
+ Admiral Sir Charles E. Madden is