THE IRISH TREATY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 3104, 23 December 1921, Page 5

THE IRISH TREATY.

MUNICIPAL COUNCILS’ SUPPORT. DEMANDS FOR ACCEPTANCE. By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received December 23, 11.50 a.m. LONDON, Dee. 22, In many parts of Ireland the municipal councils aiu calling meetings to demand acceptance of the treaty.—A. and N.Z. cable. DISCUSSION IN DAIL EIREANN. VARYING OPINIONS EXPRESSED. LONDON, Dec. 21. Speaking in Dail Eireann, Mr Cavan Duffy said; “The treaty’s vital defect is the thrusting of an alien King upon ns, who necessarily symbolises our seven centuries of just anger and resentment, lie desire to minimise that effect, hut it ought not to he exaggerated.”!, 'lhe, treaty gave them what they had not enjoyed for cen-

turies, a Government worthy of the name which can place the foreign King at it considerable distance from the people. Mr Duffy added: “The delegates on December 4 broke definitely with Mr Lloyd George, hut they resumed on the, sth. After a tour and a-hulf hours’ conference our representatives came to our headquarters and declared that four times they had almost broken with Mr Lloyd George, and (hat the fate of Ireland must he decided that night, Mr Lloyd (George having shown them the ultimatum.”

Mr Dully emol ioimlly added; "1 shall never forgot that, night of anxiety, lyvery out* who heard Air Lloyd George believed that he meant all he said. I wonder whether you realise the monstrous iniquity of this. Our complaint- is l , not that the alternative to the treaty was immediate war. but that we, the qualified apostles of peace, had to become uuqualilied arbiters of war. We had to decide within three hours, without reference to our Government or people. I hat man, who had invited us under his roof to make a. friendly j settlement, nut ns in such a position that if we did not all sign, hordes of savages would have been let loose yin Ireland to trample, torture and crucify, 'lints, we were faced with the alternative of saving either our national dignity or the lives of the Irish people. That is why 1 signed. 1 do not love the treaty any more now than when I signed, hut 1 do not think it an adequate motive for rejection to point out that some of ns .signed under duress. .My heart is with the rejectionisls. hut my reason is against them because there- is no rational altcruali'e. If Dail Kiveann rejects the treaty it is a. gamble what will happen next. No serious man wants a plebiscite, which would rend the counlrv from end to end. leaving memories of hliiVrness and* acrimony lasting ImV generations. No one who ha< seen it wants a renewal of the war without a clear prospect of getting further than we have now reached. I urge yon to ratify the treaty with the most dignified protest Dail Lireamt can utter, because we cannot do otherwise in the interests of the people.’’ Mr Duggan said: “I went to the fateful conference, hut was not threatened by Mi Lloyd George. lie did not shake the papers in my lace. W ith the fullest consciousness ol my responsibility to Dad Kireanit. to the living and to the detid, 1 stand by iny signature.” Mr Cosgrove said the treaty had not sacrificed °auy vital principle. If the reject inputs were willing to accept the people’s decision possibly an agreement would lie attainable. Mr Cosgrove said he preferred Dominion Home Ride to a. republic of 26 counties, because it made me j unification of Ireland possible. . Miss McSwitiev, sister of the late lord j Mayor of fork, spoke for 160 mmutes. ( Sho | described Mr Lloyd George as an “uttscrupulotis trickster.” Not .a Government of Knrope. she said, trusted Ins word. \ shall he the first rebel under this treaty, she said,. “Vou will have the poasure. or jiaiu of imprisoning nte. Mr tot ins has made a treaty acceptable to many, but j if Mi- Collins went- to hell to-morrow would you go with him?” (J-mid ones ot j “Yes I’ ) .Miss McSwitiev: “Well. 1 Itave nothing to say to men who are willing to j transfer their allegiance front God u> the devil at Michael Hollins's behest , \ feature of the txtrly part of the sitting of Dail Kireann were (ho speeches of Messrs |>,,(}■ v and Duggan and the (hvergetico heiween the two. Mr Duffy, who is one ot ihe quietest and most dignified of the de eoates, said his signal tire was extorted by | •j' (lu'-cat of civil war, but, Mr Duggan j sco!fed m the suggestion. Mr Childers distinguished hiniselt by 11m | venom of his speech, and there were con- I fiuuai interrupt ions. , i Professor Siockley, who is an k.nghsh- i man in a sumi-coltereiil speech, punctuated i bv shrieks of anger, declared that iho treaty I yjiould colour tin l lace ol cvoit Kni;*lishiiian j wiili rha.’Mo. Miss Mc.Nwiiu-v's speech was the longest j and most- eloquent thus far. She is a cultivated woman, and indulged m every device of oratory, including htiuiomg irony, indignation ami patho.. Dressed m deep, mm'rnieg. -he held her audience tor the whole two and a-hhlf hours In a telhug passage, she turned towards Mr Gollms and held out her hands appealingly, saying “Don't be fooled. You can heat Mr Lloyd George in tin- field, and in my opinion the world. But. don’t he such a. tool as to think vou can heat him in (rickety. ’ ' Mmarentlv the debate will continue until cv'et v men,her lias spoken. Nether side i:. willing to give the other me slightest advantage. , , . . At the adjournment- sixteen members Hat sookci 1 in favour of the ratification and fourteen against. Mr De Valera wains the vole taken to-morrow. Mr Gtifhlh has nested that tin- speakers be h,titled to iiflorin minutes.—A. and N.a. cattle.

BAIL EIREANN ADJOURNS. j Received December 23, 11.50 a.m. | LONDON, Dec. 22. ( Gail Fireatin has adjourned till Jamiiuv ; 3.--A. and N.Z. cable. FATE OF THE TREATY. EQUAL DIVISION FORKCASTFI). | LONDON. Dec. 22._ j Members ..f ihe Daii Fireatni who are in j 11 position of authority loree. -l an equal , division, staling the aiili-tieatv groups have i won many adherents during tlic. debate. A number of members will vole against the (realv if they can be. sure ir will he ear cied. They want the glory ot opposing it without the consequences, 'the rank ami file of ihe republicans are reorganising Sum Fein chilis on a revolutionary basis. Some of the. battalions of the Republican army are openly ihreatening whai Ihey will do if ihe treaty is ratified—A. and N.Z cable. RAID BY SINN FEINERS. (11 ASF P.V I LSTFR LULU. LONDON. Dec. 22. 1 A Sinn Fein gang in Feeny. County Derrv, operating over a wide I rad, took 113 men prisoners in press gang fashion. | and removed them to an unknown destina--1 lion. . . .. .• i The Sinn Kernel's attempted to dnili. but the i)olice arrcsled live and instituted a house-to-house search. They unearthed a regular bomb arsenal, manufacturing plant "'arid oilier requisites of warfare on a big scale. They later rescued die men, who are said to have been taken from their beds and compelled to I ramp the lulls, only being allowed bread and watei. The Northern Government’s resolute action litis come as a great shock to the Sinn Feiner.s of Tyrone and Derry. Hearing (hut armed bands of Sinn I>enters hat forced labourers, farmers, publicans and even professional men, at the revolvet point, to follow them. Sir James vraig determined to act strongly, before daybreak Ihe police in a number of dislriels were ordered to concentrate in the Glenelly Valiev, and to run clown the Republicans in the old Hibernian Hall. \Mten the. Stmt I ['enters left the road they took to the mountains. Ulster police, who left in i motor-cars, followed 13 of; hem, who qniek|v threw up their hands. I hose proved | 0 he'the men who had been kidnapped. | The police, therefore, continued the hunt. I Titov were subjected lo tt fusillade from the‘hills, and replied vigorously. A number of casualties are reported.—A. and iN.Z. cable. i LOOTING RAIDS IN BELFAST. LONDON. Dec. 21. | Isolated looting raids wore renewed in ibc Fast Knd of Belfast last night. Ibe pi, lire describe the Ballymaearreil area as 'in a state of sheer Bolshevism. —A. and N.Z, cable,