The Dominion. TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1919. THE OUTLOOK FOR IRELAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 271, 12 August 1919, Page 6

The Dominion. TUESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1919. THE OUTLOOK FOR IRELAND

Sir Edward Carson's announcement that he is about to revive political organisation in Ulster rather appears to suggest something more than appears on the surface. It suggests for one thing distrust of Me. Lloyd George's new scheme for settling Ireland's (as distinct from "Uls:«r'"s) _ grievances. The Prime Minister has promised in- 1 deed that the Government would • "submit a spheme," but at the same ; time he admitted by implication l that the scheme is not yet ready for ! submission. As a whole Mb. Lloyd j George's statement was in fact_ a j confession of continued indecision j where Ireland is concerned. Even \ when Home Rule for Ireland was i a purely domestic issue the question j was difficult and troublesome j enough, but there is now the addi- j tional factor to be taken into ac- , count that the existing state ox affairs in Ireland is damaging Britain's credit .P.broiu], perhaps moat, of all in those countries with which sho ought to be united in ~th 6 closest tics of friendship, It is a fact of which due note must be taken that so far as foreign countries are concerned the necessity of promoting a just settlement with Ireland has nowhere been more forcibly emphasised than in the United States. American comments on the Irish problem are all the more entitled to an attentive hearing since, apart from a section of Irish extremists, they have, ■ generally i speaking, been made with judgment I and moderation. An unfortunate impression was created some weeks ago when brief accounts wore cabled of the hearty welcome accorded in America to De Valera, the Sinn Fein leader, and of the action taken by Congress. Both the Senate and the House of Repre-' sentatives passed resolutions practically favouring full freedom for Jreland, the Senate urging that an Irish delegation should be heard at the Peace Conference, The full information which is now available, however, makes it quite evident that there is no serious danger of the United States being led into the folly of attempting to dictate to Britain in a matter which is essentially one of internal policy. There are, of course, as is well known, fairly numerous minorities in America which ai;e prepared to go to any lengths in acclaiming the Irish extremists and endorsing the most extravagant demands thoy like to advance, but it is the. vcrdict of competent American observers that - "these welcoming voices are outnumbered by others which run the gamut from mere caution to an intense dislike of the Sinn Fein revolutionists, their alleged pro-German affiliations, and all their works." Many newspapers oalled the Senate to account for meddling with tho internal affairs of the British Empire; and against tho welcome extended in some quarters to the representative of Sinn 'Fein there is to be sot. a great deal of frank and uncompromising hostility. The New York r l me«, for instance, in an article refieotmg opinions that seem to be widely held, asked where the "Irish Republic" was in the days when those small nations whose freedom the "Republic" now envies were winning their freedom. More might be cited as showing how completely Sinn Ijoin failed to capture the mass of American opinion, but it is of greater importance that as the controversy progressed much friendly and even urgent counsel was tendered to Britain to scttlo the Irish question and be done with it. The Springfield Republican summed matters up tersely:

The average American of plain, homely speech, who desires that tho United States and • Great Britain shall hereafter got on well togetlior, is .asking, "Why in thunder doesn't England do something to end tho everlasting row over Ireland?" They say that when Premier Lloyd Georgo retrains homo from Paris he is to be "questioned" in the House of Commons to see if ho has an Irish policy. "Questioned", makes one sick. Is that all?

This is an attitudo with which a very large proportion of the people of the British Empire are in hearty sympathy. _ _ ■ Iri the position reached the continued indecision of the British Government is difficult to excuse or understand. A remark made by Me. Lloyd George in the course of his statement; a few days ago possibly throws some light on tiie matter. He said of a particular scheme of settlement that unfortunately it was ono that every party in Ireland wguld condemn. If tho British Prime _ Minister is still hopeful of devising a settlement that would bring the Irish parties into agreement, _ action on his part towards promoting' a settlement is likely to be long enough delayed. His rational course seems to be to lay down a policy based on the broad conditions of Irish settlement he has repeatedly stated—that Ireland is entitled to self-govern-ment, but that Ulster must in no circumstances be coerced. Ireland

is clearly entitled to the fullest measure of ■self-government consistent with the safety of the United

Kingdom of which it is an integral part, and Ulster is as clcarly entitled tolhc same measure of autonomy as the rest of Ireland. It ought to be the easier to shape a policy of settlement on these lines rinco a special committee of the House of Commons is now givinir practical consideration to the whole question of Federal devolution and to' the possibility, of creating such subordinate Parliaments as would enable the Bouse of Commons, now hopelessly overtaxed, to concentrate iipon Imperial affairs. Amongst the proposals raised it has been suggested that more than one subordinate legislature might with advantage be established in England. There should be the less objection

on practical grounds to creating more than one Parliament in Ireland. The argument that such an arrangement would be rejected Jjy the Sinn Feincrs even if it tfevc accepted by Ulster supplies no reason for refraining from action on these lines. The duty of the British Government is not to attempt to base and shape a policy on the impossible demands of Irish extremists, but simply to dowhat substantial justice it can in fairly meeting the Jrish demand for selfgovernment.' That such a policy would rot at once succeed, or completely succeed, is very probable. That it w6u!d fail to find ultimate acceptance in Ireland is by no means as likely. The experiment, at all events, has yet to be tried, and it would be the more hopeful since the Sinn Feiners, in spite of their wordy professions, seem at present to be distinctly at a loss. Although they swept the polls at last election they have no obvious means of building on this achievement, and it is possible at least, that with Ireland's substantial grievances remedied their perplexities would deepen as those of the British Government tended to disappear.