THE BOUNDARY ISSUE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 109, 9 May 1924, Page 8

THE BOUNDARY ISSUE

10 THE EDIIOR.

: Sir, —Your ' correspondent, " W. Kelliher," in his letter published yesterday, urges that the boundary question as between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland,is to be determined by article 12 of the Treaty between Great Britain and the-Irish .Republic, and quoted the .terms of the above-mentioned article in support of his contention. He (W.\ Kelliher) maintains that whatever may have teen the promises made by Mr. Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister, •to the effect that " the rights of Ulster would not be sacrificed or prejudiced," or by Lord Birkenhead as one of the negotiators with the Sinn Fein representatives,, they are all disposed .of and nullified by the terms of the Treaty. Your correspondent needs to be reminded that the people of Northern Ireland were never consulted as to the terms of the: Treaty,, were not parties l& the pact, and have no obligations under it. The Treaty provided that the Northern Ireland Parliament could disavow any intention of acting under the terms of the Treaty, and did so. Sir James Craig, the Premier o£ Northern Ireland, has stated unequivocally that they will never submit the boundary question to a Commission appointed under the Treaty; the Parliament has supported, and still supports him in that determination. It is not in accord with the principles o° justice or reason that a" treaty between two parties should bind a third, independent and unwilling, party to an arbitration on the natural and historic rights of that third party. Britishers everywhere will sympathise with and support the stand of the Ulstermen against inclusion in the Papal Irish State, or the surrender of any one ot the six counties which represent the srea accepted by Ulster under the Government of Ireland Act, IS2O, as a final settlement.—l am, -etc., '

HOWARD ELLIOTT

lOlh May,