IRISH LEAGUE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17419, 1 April 1922, Page 15

IRISH LEAGUE.

CONFERENCE IN PARIS. IMPRESSIONS OF A DELEGATE. (from ocb own correspondent.) LONDON, February 14. Representatives from many parts of the world attended the conference held in Paris of tho Irish Self-Determination League. It opened on Saturday, January 21st, when during the • morning various committees \iere formed. The countries represented included: Canada, United States of America, Chilo, Brazil, Argentine, Spain, Japan, the Australian (States, Tasmania, South Africa, New Zealand. Franco, England, Scotltuid, and Ireland. , On Monday morning the 6erioua business started. The question of holding tho conference publicly or privately was, on tho voices, carried in favour ox tho latter, after a considerably heated argument. It was soon evident that partisanship between tho Free State Party and the Anti-Free Stato Party was rife. Matters immediately came to a crisis, when a motion was tabled by the Anti-Free Stato Party to the effect that the world's organisations of Irishmen should support a Free Irish Republic. Anti-Free Staters from Ireland, the United States of America, one or two from England and Scotland, strongly supported' the motion, Mr do Valera being in the chair. The Leader of the Opposition. Mr Hull Skelton, of New Zealand, led the attack against the motion. Mr do Valera lose time and time again to interrupt, but the New Zealander's hurricance methods and arguments and oratory made him take Sis seat instantly. The conference became very electric, as both tho speaker and the chairman hit hard at each other. Finally, 'Mr da Valera took his seat and remained silent, to the chagrin of the Anti-Free Staters. It was soon obvious by tho applause both of the members of the conference and of the French audience in the large hall that the feeliiiig was for falling into line with the Free State side, much to tho annoyance of the Anti-Free Staters. Dr. O'Reilly (Sydney) followed with a trenchant attack on similar line of those of Mr Hall Skelton. And then the various Australian, Tasmanian, South African, and New Zealand delegates continued severely to handle tho AntiFree Staters. After a particularly lively morning, Mr Hall Skelton moved that the next business be proceeded with. This was carried, and the conference settled down to its comprehensive work. Various papers were siren on a constructive policy for the New Ireland, dealing with government, education, finance, international relationships, literature, music, and art. The views of the British colonies, Argentine, and Brazil were much appreciated by the Cabinet members of the Free State, many of whom were present during the whole of the conference, which lasted six dayß. A full report is to bo published shortly covering its entire business. Agricultural Education. An interesting feature of tho conference was Mr Hall Skelton's lecture on "The Evolution of the New Zealand Dairy Industry," tracing its progress from its infancy to its present high position among the dairying industries of the world. He drew a useful comparison, based on the results of his observations during a tour of Ireland immediately before the conference, of the dairy herds and industry. Ho spoke of the highly-developed _ state of tho industry in the Dominion. An observation which attracted the notice of the French. Agricultural Department was to the effect that the Irish dairy farmer was trying to produce butter-fat and beef from the same cow. The Irish dairying industry would never succeed, from what he saw, until the farmers kept tho two classes of etock separate. They must breed a mudh superior but-ter-fat cow to those ha had seen, and they must keep their cow for meatproducing in a different category. This address attracted tjle Frenoh Agricultural Department, and Mr Skelton was asked to dino with ono of its head officials and to go to tmo Machinery Exhibition at the Grand Palais. Later he was asked to give a further address on "The Evolution of tho Hydro-Electrio Scheme in New Zealand." He was able to give useful information, too, on education in New Zealand —from the primary, secondary, university, and technical standpoints, especially dealing with tho agricultural colleges and State farms. New Zealand's very advanced education in all these departments weja highly oommented upon both by members of the conference and the French people.

The Chairman's Broken Undertaking. When the election of president of the organisation took place, Mr A. Griffith (Free State Premier) was proposed first, but it was stated that he was too much occupied to take charge of the conference. Air de Valerate name was then proposed. The Anti-Free Staters opposed strenuously his accepting it, but he gave his absolute assurance that this organisation would not be used for any Party purposes, and if ho saw any attempt he would personally undertake to stop it. With this assurance, the Free Staters agreed to bis election. It was later obvious that Mr de Valera could not control his partisans, for on the last day of the conference a motion was tabled on lines similar to the one which was already defeated. For some two hours the conference once more became very electric, and Mr Skelton led the attack. . Dr. O'Reilly, Mr Cleary and representatives of Tasmania,' South Africa, and the Argentine, made. a stringent protest at Mr do Valera'a broken undertaking. Finally, amid scenes of great excitement, Mr de Valera called on the mover of the motion and the seconder to withdraw the motion. Both Free Staters and Anti-Free Staters agreed to an equal appointment of their representative sides as members of the committee. A Partisan Secretary. After the conference had closed, owing to the appointment of a secretary who was known to have, Anti-Free State opinions, the delegates from the British colonies and the Argentine held a meeting at the Grand Hotelj Paris, presided over by Dr. O'Reilly. A strongly-worded resolution was passed, to be incorporated in the manifesto to Mr de Valera, that unless the secretary was removed and one of non-party lead appointed, the meeting would advise all its organisations promptly to withdraw from the new organisation and refuse to pay any money toward its maintenance. This resolution was delivered to Mr de Valera in person, but up to the time of the closing of the mail his reply has not been received. An Impression of Irish Delegates. The Ministers of the Free State Party are described as having throughout the conference shown an impartial and statesmanlike attitude to all controversial matters. They appeared to be men of the highest intelligence, most conscientious, rnd using; superhuman efforts to reconstruct Ireland along the lines of the Dominion Government basis. It is obvious that Mr de Valera's difficulties will be that he has to rely upon United State? mojies, and that his subalterns and camp followers are men of little ability. It is to be hoped that he will be able to carry out his pledge that he would not interfere with the efforts of the Free Stat© Party to establish on a sound basis a Free State Government in Ireland, but it

is doubtful whether he will be able to control the extreme element of his party, who lack balance. The Free State Party will have much opposition from this quarter and it is anticipated that various acts of violence will be indulged, in by the Anti-Free Staters in order to hamper tlie progress of the Free State Party in their work of reorganisation. It is significant that the New Zealand delegate (\'.r Skelton) should have remarked, at tho Paris Conference that, after close observation in Ireland, he believed 85 per cent, of the people would vote straight-out for the Free State Party if an election were held immediately. One of thd difficult tasks of the Free State Party will be to unarm the extreme section of the Anti-Free Staters. In addition, their difficulties with Ulster will be gre;;t, owing to the temperamental character of the Ulster Party, whose independent attitude will not assist in bringing about a rapprochement between Ulster and the rest of Ireland. But the Free State Party showed the conference their conscientious desire to bring about a happy solution b&tweon Ulster and Ireland at the earliest possible opportunity. It remains to be seen whether the Anti-Fre© Staters will, by acts of violence, attempt to jeopardise the very excellent objects of bringing both parties together. Mr Michael Collina, who stands oft high, is physically a giant, with clearcut Grecian features, and he has the intellectual eye of a man with strenuous determination. His ideas aro quite Round and he has a good grasp of international affairs and the principles upon which the only working basis can be carried out between Ireland and England. It is only natural that he has invoiced the bitter hostility of the extreme Anti-Free Staters. Men like Professor O'Neill, Dr. Hyde, "Dr. Irwin, and Professor Hoyes are all giants of intellect, who hate violence, and whose one hop© and ambition are that Ireland should' be governed well and that her industries should be developed to their maximum. The overseas delegates feTfc that it was a treat to meet such highly-intellectual and conscientious men, and they v.-ere interested to compare these men with the leaders of the Anti-Free State Party. This was like comparing tho intellects of babies with tlio intellects of highly-educated parents. Mr de Valera is a quiet, unassuming man, of very high culture, but ho lias to rely widely upon the United States money, and iie consequently has to do what he is told by his financiers. The result is that he has no c'loubt to do a great many things to which his better nature is strongly opposed.