Evening star., 1928-02-07

A few days ago the Government oil
the United States received with great
formality. as we'll as cOrclaiity, tne
president of the Irish Free State. Mr.
Cosorave." He was so acclaimed py
press and public. The hign oigni.aIs
was taken to Congress and there iol-
nallv introduced, first in the senate
and then in the House. and ne mace
sneeches In both halls of legislation.
II now transpires that Mr.. Cosgrave
,s no, the President of the irish free
state and never has been. What is ne !!
surely not IAN Irish bull" OF which We
hear so much. The mystery oeeFhs
when we read that his majesty. hins
George. has just appointed q ne" gov
ernor general over the lrlsn FREE ota.e
How can a British King appoint guy
ernor general II Erin ga bragn IS
yraIanS a free state" or have We been
drcaming9 Is 1t not independent ana
free?
No. the Irish Free State remains
mar, Of the Commonwealth OF the Brit
ish Nations. which is the successor o!
the Empire OF Great Britain and Ire
land. with its several dominions.
The Irish Free State has identicaiiy
the same status within the common
veal,h of the British Nations as has
Canada. It is conceivable that the
same status had been offered 10 tne
American colonies in 1916 there would
never have been Declaration OF Inoe-
pendence nor even a Boston tea party
In the official report tknown as the
Balfour report, of the Imperial CONFER
cnce OF 1926 appears this definition;
a.,
tant element In II. which. from s'rictiy
CONSTITUTIONAL point Of view. has now.
AS regards all vital matters, reached Its
fun development We refer 10 the group
of self governing communities composed
Of Great Britain and the DominionS.
Their position and mutual relation may
h., readily defined They are autotlo-
NOUS communities within the British
Empire, equal IN status. III no way sub
ordinate one to another In any respect
of their domestic or external anaics.
though united by common allegiance
10 the crown. and freely associated rs
members of the British Commonwealth
OF Nations.
II il vital to note that that las,
word. Nations Is plural. and that
II takes the place of colonies ar de-
pcndcncieS In all essential respects
each dominion like Canada. the Irish
Free Stat. South Afriea, Australia and
New Zealand, is free and Self-govern-
ing and as independent Of interference
by Great Britain as. for example. Cam
ada is free from Australian interfer-
enCe.
Formerly the seat Of power og the
empire was In the United Kingdom
os Great Britain and lreland''-~the
heart of the empire was Great britain
and Ireland" meaning England. Scot
land and Wales. with all ot Ireland
Now Great Britain consists of England,
Scotland and Wales. with North Ire
land only. aud Great Britain holds the
same status In the empire aS does any
one of the damintonS, she has no power
whatever, through her Parliament or
cabinet, To lceisiate for any domtnion"~~
including the irish Free Stale,
Hut the crown Is the fallying point
of all dominions alike--the Irish Free
state, Great Britain and all the others
beng ON the same status, II would ee
quite aS conceivable nov for the les,S~
ia,ure of the Irish Free State u under.
take to regulate the conmerce o the
Thames az the fisheries on Scotland
as Il would for the British Parliament
to put duty on tea FOR Irish Ffee
state import
A Canadian statesman has summed
up the whole matter hv saving All
the tlominionS are ot the same status.
but not the same stature"
Each dominion not only eontro'S
self government, but also its tnfelsn
affairs, as an independent nation
This Is the nast ren,atkahle reVrlntt'h
In human history. II has ro.ne a> NJ.
lcntiy aS sunrise M that the wofa
has hardly Ivallaea us ae>ch'rnfM,
since the Wotia War, rulmnatins ~
stated in the haltour teisHt M the
Imperial Cuntercnee VI u nIse mete !
than Il wear ago fhis euntetente Was
held by representatives, mcmdh's the
prime ministers at all the domsnMais
and REPRESENTATIVES, M India
sio eIWhal Is this deNe'orment tha'
IN INA, tor the t,rsl tine In hsstWN,
when treaty WAS under heentiatHh
between the United states and hts Mal"
esty, uearse Y. ot the United Ninsstcm
af tiyeat H.ita,n and trelana tMean,ns
North ireland ~ uktefl, and M the |
british duainiAns heVand the NeaS, !
h ing, EmpeiaI at euslaad' the halt |
aud there illuminated hy North AMI |
geuVness and mtelllees,ce and The pthsr |