THE IRISH QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 38, 8 November 1918, Page 4

THE IRISH QUESTION

LIVELY DEBATE IN THE HOUSE GP COMMONS A PREPOSTEROUS CLAIM _ London, November 6. in the House ot Commons, Mr T P O'Connor moved that Britain sliould'not attend the ■ Peace Conference until she applied the principle of the eelf-determin-ation of small nations to Ireland. Mr. Asquith urged that before Britain entered the conference she should give an assurance that Iceland would not bo behind any of our self-governing Damin. ions. Mr. Edward Shortt (Secretary for Ireland) said the failure iii Ireland was shared by the Irish ns well f.s the Engish. He asked the Nationalists to tell Hie House what settlement thev would accept. Mr. Bonar Law said he hod listened to Mr. Asquith with amazement. It was a preposterous claim that the British Empire should not take part in' the Peace Conference, until it settled the Irish question. The conference had no right o deal with the matter. The Irish question was,a domestic'affair, and the British people would not tolerate the idea, of allowing, anybody outside to dictate its settlement. ,

llie motion was altered to read: "In view of the- approach of a Peace Confer, ence, the Irish question should be settled in accordance with President Wil' son's principle of self-determination, for which the Allies are ostensibly fighting." The motion was rejected ty '196 votes 1' lla.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn