LOOKING TO ULSTER

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 55, 28 November 1921, Page 5

LOOKING TO ULSTER

GRAVE ANXIETIES UNDIMINISHED. (Rec. November 27, 11.5 p.m.) London, November 26. Lord Birkenhead, speaking at Tunbridge Wells, said that the present,was the most anxious limo since tho Armistice. There was dill a great hope of Mr Lloyd George going to Washington. The Irish quarrel had weakened■ iihe whole Empire and produced unhappy consequences in the Unit?' 1 States, there was a greater tribunal than tho Irish conference or tho Imperial Parliament, namely, the tribunal consisting of the citizens of the Empire. If the only method of attaining peace consisted, of force, it seemed that no British Government could shrink from it. but it would not bring a contented Ireland any nearer. None could complain that the Government had not offered Ireland the whole substance of her historic claim. Neither directly nor indirectly, in any contingency, was it the Governments policy to apply coercion to Ulster, and i/o question of taking fre-" her her special privileges under the *''?* Act Jonld arise, but the Government fcoped that some time in the near future t-” would recognise that her interest -*n many matters could best be served by an All Ireland’ 'Assembly. This was the gravest issue 'which had arisen from the conference. He could not predict that it would bo solved. “It would lie misleading von if t pretended that the anxieties relating to the conference have m any way diminished,'’ 'he added. The “Observer,” summarising the Irish negotiations, says: “Ulster shoWd no prejudice her own situation. Sim bn. not been asked to commit suicide for the Empire’s sake. She has been asked io make some concession to the peace and contentment of Ireland within iho Empire. Thoughtful Irishmen will view wit'li dismay the future of Ulster as a di=C2nnected part of a hostile as a State without tolerance, founded on coercion, seething with suppressed discontent, more and more compelled to condone mob violence. If the Ulstei Cabinet is to play a statesmanlike part it. will have to face its mob. We do not think it has been faced yet If not faced the Government of Ulsfci rill pass ’under the sway of ‘"''‘barmn sion from tho by-stiecte. The future of the negotiations .bangs on tho most slender thread. Whatever the result, two facts mav be stated—there is no question kf the coercion of Ulster; neither can there bo anv question of coercing the South of Ireland while it is prepared to recognise Hie Crown and Empire. Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.