Revelations in Anti-Treaty Leader's Correspondence

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 49, 14 December 1922, Page 9

Revelations in Anti-Treaty Leader's Correspondence

"Gur Position impossible" Important disclosures arc made in a Parliamentary Paper published on Saturday (says the Weekly. Freeman, Dublin, for October 12), containing copies of letters and notes which passed between Anti-Treaty leaders during the months of August and September. Most important of these are the letters'bearing upon the relations between the political leaders and the Irregulars. Following the receipt of a letter from Mr. Liam Lynch, Mr. do Valera wrote to a colleague, complaining that they had all the responsibility and no authority. "If I do not get the position made clear," he said, "I will resign publicly." The possibility of establishing a rival Government was canvassed about the i-ime the newly-elected Parliament met, but the idea was abandoned, Mr. de Valera. stating that it would be impossible to maintain such a Government. "We, no more than the others," he wrote, "could get from the Army that unconditional allegiance without which our Government would be a farce." With a note he recalls that he himself defended RorV O'Cjnnor's "unfortunate repudiation of the Dail." The Parliamentary Paper is entitled "Correspondence of Mr. E. de Valera and others." It contains copies of 27 documents, mostly signed with initials. It is explained that the initials "E." and "E. de V." stand for Eamon de Valera; "C. O'M." for Cathal O'Murchadha (Charles Murphy, ex-T.D.); "R. O'B." for Riobard O'Breandain (Robert Brennan, also referred to as "Bob"); L.." for Patrick Little ;,"E. O'M" for Ernest O'Malley;,„"A." for Austin Stack, T.D.; "L. O'M." for Liam O'Maoiliosa (Liam Mellowes) ; and "P. J. 11." for P. J. Rutledge. From Field G.H.Q. Chief interest attaches to the following letters bearing upon the relations between the Irregulars and the political leaders: i A letter from Liam Lynch to de Valera on August 30 explaining the difficulty of holding a. meeting of Republican Army Executive, and adding: "I would, however, be only too pleased to have your views at any time on the general situation, and matters arising out of it, and they will receive my earnest consideration. Threat to Resign. The above was marked "Reed, by E. de V. on Sept. 12." On the same day Mr. de Valera sent the following: "To.C. O'M. "A Ch., A Chara, ;'■■.'.". "Miss O'C. will show you a copy of a letter I have 'just received from Liam Lynch. "This is too good a. thing, and won't do. "The position of tho political party must be straightened out. If it is the policy of the party to leave it all to the army, well then the obvious thing for members of the party to do is to resign their positions as public representatives. The present position is that Ave have all the public responsibility and no voice and no authority. "I am striving to get in touch with some of the Army Executive at hand on the matter. I may have to address a letter to each of them, and a letter to each member of the party also. "If I do not get the position made quite clear, I. shall resign publicly. ' . ' . *<How many members of the party are available for meetings ' •'.'': "Do Chara, .. "E. .de V." The White Paper explains that "C. O'M." are the initials of Cathal O'Murchadha, (Charles Murphy exT.D.). ':;-, ■'.;•" "■ ~'■ •\ Attitude Towards Dail. ■-.'"..•'-.'.'.■";•' •,, The attitude to be adopted towards , the newly-elected parliament would appear to have been the subject df considerable discussion. Letter No. .11, dated September .6- and addressed to "0. O'M." (Mr. Charles Murphy, exT.D.) by Mf.de' Valera favored the proclamation or the"

Parliament as an illegal assembly by tho. : Republican. Army. A change of ■.attitude ,is recorded in a'letter .sent on the following day, September. 7, saying: —"Attached you may read for the party. You will note an change in toy decision —1 fell this course is the one that will make most rapidly for peace. . . Nothing came of last night's meeting. There is nothing to be gained by. my seeing Golden. I met him in Cork. Get proposals pub on paper.'' The statement referred to reads as follows: "A Chara. regards' .attending the meeting' of the Dail on Saturday.'l have considered the'matter and am of opinion that both from the points of view.of principle and expediency Ave as a. party should not attend.. ■'--■' "1. The Second Dail is not dissolved. It is the sovereign authority in the country, in my opinion, at this moment. (Members who hold that the violation of the strict letter of tho oath by the Pro-Treaty members excludes them from being regarded as members of the. Second Dail will, of course, hold that the severeign authority is in the Second Dail, composed of the Republican members only, but our attendance at the Dail meetings last session means we waived that position.) "The assembly that it summoned to meet en Saturday does not pretend to be Dail Eireann — it is the Provisional Parliament. It has not been summoned by the proper authority, etc., etc. Then there is tho oath. An Eye to Expediency. '•2. So far principle. Now expediency. Our presence at. the meeting would only help to solidify, all the other groups against us. We would be the butt of every attack. We could not 'explain —we would be accused of obstructing the business and 'talking' when we should 'get on with the work.' • "Our presence there wi'ill not promote but rather retard peace. "Finally, whatever chance there is of union in our own group it lies more in the direction of abstention than attendance. "3. If we decide then as a. party not to go, the question remains shall wo issue a statement or should the army Proclaim ' the meeting, or should we ignore the meeting and say nothing?"Strict principle would dictate the second course, but we are not strong enough to maintain tho position it would involve. Besides, it is too late to get in touch with Army H.Q. on the matter. If we issue a. statement it will tie our hands, and if at a. future time a course other than non-attendance should seem wise we might find ourselves precluded from taking it." "4. Hence, summing up, I am in favor of non-attend-ance. Let them keep guessing as to the- reason for the present.. If Mr. Ginned thinks he should go that will not be any harm, but perhaps an advantage. O'Mahony should certainly go .and. claim his seat. If he is' refused it makes the Provisional Parliament not the Dail, and is o. violation of-the Pact, subject to which the elections were decreed.—Do Chara, (Signed) "Eam.on do Valera."On the next day (September 8) the following note was sent to "C. O'M.": "I hope you did not give out copies of my letter for the Party. I do not want any communications of ' mine to fall into the hands of the'other side. Enough will reach them . verbally. I meant the letter .to be read simply. Thanks for copies.—E." '{This Is No Use." A statement signed by the Irregular leaders and two ladies on September 9, and demanding that the Republican deputies should assemble as the Third Dail, figures as the document No. 13 in the paper. Written, on it is the following comment by Mr. de'Valera; dated September 11 : "To C. O'M.—This is no use. If Ave could maintain a Republican Government, now — what they did on Saturday— be the time to set it up. We can't maintain it I fear.E." A RIVAL GOVERNMENT. "Our Obvious Inability'to Maintain It." Next comes a note sent on September 11 to Mr d« Valera, by "C. O'M." stating:— '' ■ "I have opposed the setting up of a rival Government, solely, because of our obvious inability to maintain it.. : ' ■' "The fact that the new... assembly -.is not-the Dail gives •us the best chance,; we have got yet. f nev'fci' felt until

- now that we should proclaim a Republican Government. If we were now in the position we were in' when we held a portion of Cork I'd certainly favor it. But again we -cannot maintain it. If the Army Executive were at hand and would definitely give allegiance to that Government, I'd .think it wise to try it—but again the inability to maintain it. We can let the matter wait for a few days." './'■■ -.' The Three Proposals. Followng up this communication, Mr. de Valera further analysed the situation in the following letter to "C. O'M. " dated September 13: "I received your memo of yesterday. "Statement. undoubtedly that statement, as comprehensive and as succinct as possible, should be prepared issued immediately. The Publicity Department and Sceilg, say, should draft it in the first instance. * "Governing Authority.— may read my note of yesterday re the letter of Liam Lynch to the Party, if you wish. "The position, as I see it, is this: _ "Either (a) the Republican Party must take control, acting as the legitimate Dafl; (b) the Army Executive take control and assume responsibility; (c) a Joint Committee be formed to decide policy for both. "Course (a) would constitutionally be the correct one, and most consistent with our whole position. Of all times since the signing of the Treaty the present is the most suitable time. I am against it, however. "1. Because we, no more than the others, could getfrom the army' that unconditional allegiance without which our Government would be a farce. Rory O'Connor's unfortunate repudiation of the Dail, which I was so foolish as to defend even to a straining of my own views in order to avoid the appearance of a split, is now the greatest barrier that we have. "2. Because even if we had the allegiance we have not the military strength to make our will effective, and we cannot, as in the time of the war with the British, point to authority derived from the vote of the majority of the people. We will be turned down definitely by the electorate in a few months time in any case. "3. Because, if challenged, we could not as a Government refuse to let the people decide by vote as between the two Governments. If the people were to-be given the decision that meant the worst of all, turning down the Republic. Impossible Position. "Course (b). Of the three I prefer this. It is most in accord with fact. But then the Army Executive must publicly accept responsibility. There must be no doubt in the minds of anybody on the matter. This pretence from the pro-Treaty Party that we are inciting the Army must be ended by a declaration from the Army itself that that is not so. "The natural corollary to this is that we, as a political party, should cease to operate in any public way—resign in fact. This is the course I have long been tempted to take myself, and were it not that my action might prejudice the cause of the Republic, I'd have taken it long since. Our position as public representatives is impossble. "Course (c). I fear this is impracticable. The political party has to justify itself in a wav that, is not expected from the army. If the army wishes to select some of the personnel of the party for its Executive, and they are willing to act, well and good—but I am afraid the task of riding two such horses as the party and the army will be too much for any executive." The Fine Ghaedheal. The finances of the Fine Ghaedheal (the Irish Race) are dealt with in the following letter to Mr. Austin Stack on August 17, 1922: "A Chara—Before the present outbreak Mr. de Valera had promised the Committee of this Organisation that he would negotiate for us a loan of £2OOO from the Republican Organisation pending the receipt bv us of contributions which we are expecting from America. v 'HC; "The outbreak of hostilities upset these plans, and I am; sorry to say -we are now practically at the end of our resources. I would ' ask you to ascertain. if it would be

possible for the Republican Party to advance us a temporary loan of £IOOO, as soon as the first contribution comes from America. , - ". : J ■ : "R-lOBARD 0. BItEANDAIN, -. \ "Runaire." The Bail Funds. The question of the Dail Funds also figures in the correspondence. On September 14 Mr. de Valera wrote to C. O M.:—■ "I notice new trustees are appointed. - A statement from the party should contain the fact that the new Dail is not the legitimate successor to the old Dail, and calling upon the Trustees to be'faithful to their trust and not to hand over to the Trustees of the Parliament of Southern Ireland moneys which were subscribed to maintain the Republic. The funds are the property of the Second Dail which has not yet been constitutionally dissolved The need of a controlling executive in -supreme command of the Republican movement is more and more urgent do V. ' ' « '' S , cei should get Finnerty to stop the others getting the U.S.A. Funds." fo