Evening star., 1925-11-28
Yes Ireland shall be free.
From the center 20 the sea
Then hurrah for liberty.
Co.. the Chan Van xOCht. ~


Yet. what price freedom? foday
there lowers over Ireland the oarh
cloud Of civil war, which may Involve
Great Britain In support of North Ire
land against the Irish Free state. 10
what that war may lead no states
ma dare foretell.
First. it was the government OF
North Ireland-Ulster-wh refused
to accept the boundary commission or
annoint a commissioner to act thereon
while the Irish Free State welcomed
the commission and promptly appoint
ed it's representative. Up TO November
20 the Free State representatiFe
served. and appeared satisfied with
tho nrosress of the work. Then he Wis
ited Dublin. conferred with President
Cossrave and other leaders of the
F-ree State. He reported TO them
where the proposed boundary would
rrn-how il would add certain parts
of Ulster to the Free State. which
would crafty the Free State de-
mands, but how 1t would take certain
areas, peopled by Presbyteria ms
away from the Free State and give
them TO Ulster.
Never! Not an inch OF the Free
State shall he surrendered' SO de-
clared President Cosgrave in the
midst OF Iebate in the Dali. 't Re hnd
dared to do otherwise, 1t would have
cost him his office, rs the crisis mas
now cost the offices held by Commls-
sioner John MacNeill. who was also
minister Of educa ton in President
CoSgraves cabinet.
DR.. MacNeill resigned from the
boundary commission and also from
the cabinet. in protest against the
commissions intent TO adjust the
boundary in n way that sacr1hced
nearly as much Protestant territory
now held by the Free State as 1t dld
Catholic territory now in Ulster.
The resignation of Commissioners
MacNeilI settles nothing. 1t 1s q
signal for great excitement in Dublin.
Belfast and London, the capitals OF
the three parties in interest. Tne
two commissioners remaining will
proceed to make the report, as plan
ned. although the Free State declares
that a report by only two OF the three
commissioners will not be iegal-or at
least will not be accepted.
The Obstetrics and British point TO
a historical precedent In the case OF
the division of assets between Quebec
and Ontario. when the Dominion Of
Canada was united and organized.
There was a commission of three. as
in this Irish diSpute-One appointed
by Quebec, one by Ontario and one
by the Dominion of Canada. Before
the award was made the Quebec
commissioner. Hon. e. d. Day, re-
signed in protest, his resignation was
accepted by Quebec, and the province
formally withdrew from the arbitra-
tion-just as in the present Irish
crisis. The other two commissioners
~ 49,
arguments OF Ontario and made their
award. Quebec refused to accept the
award and q Joint case" was made
up and referred to the British privy
council.
The council ruled that after a hear
ing before the three arbitrators, two
Of them could render decision IN the
absence Of the third: or, after sub
sequent ex.parte hearing before two
arbitrators, In the willful absence of
the third. the two could render
legal decision; that the arbitrator, duly
appointed, had not the right to re.
sign, nor Quebec the power to accept
his resignation or revoke his appoint
ment, hence the resignation and re-
vocation were null and void.
This decision of the priyy council,
rendered in is7S, has never been modi.
ned. 1t stands as a precedent in the
present Irish boundary arbitration, ac
cordinE to the claims Of Ulster and
Great Britain.
y
For three centuries there had been
Irish unrest and agitation against
British rule. This became acute fol.
lowing the United States Revolution
and the fall of the Bastille in the
French Revolution. With periods of
quiet, the unrest grew intense in the
early decades Of this century. with