Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3rd, 1919. THE TIMES PEACE.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1919, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3rd, 1919. THE TIMES PEACE.

Titk Home news has indicated that the ’’••'tish Government is again considering the question of the legislative settlement for Ireland, whereby peace will bo imj W *, Iv.- < c -- . " a

posed on the country. But The Times has been hammering away at the. sub ject for some time > following the first suggestion of Lord Northcliffe, who hinted in a message to the United States at the “Dominion of Ireland.” In the course of several articles on the subject, The Times gave to- the : British people formulated suggestions 1 for the solution of the Irish problem, j Those suggestions are based not on a transitory phase of Irish politics, but | on fundamental principles. The ruling 1 idea of The Times suggestions is to j give to the Irish people the fullest mea- J sure of self-government that the hard facts of the Irish situation permit. In the absence of any hope of agreement among Irishmen, it is necessary that the solution should be imposed. When the Irish difficulty is probed to the depths, and the intention of the probing is to find solid foundations,it is not surprising, comments the Daily Mail that a new method of solution should be discovered, and the method which The Times proposes is new in many particulars. Very briefly the scheme is this: Ireland is to be divided into two States—the whole province of Ulster to be one, the remainder of Ireland to be the other. To each of these States is to be given the widest measure of self-government in its internal affairs that it is possible to grant. It is quite obvious that there are certain powers of legislation over Irish matters which could not be decentralised in this way. For instance, two separate postal organisations or divided control of Customs or of railways would be so complicated as to be unworkable. But it is not desired to shut the door on the possibility of Ireland eventually gaining the control of powers of this nature. The most striking feature of the scheme is that where, for various reasons, non-provincial powers cannot be divided between the Irish State Legislatures, they should remain with the Parliament at Westminster until the State Legislatures agree to their being entrusted to an All-Ireland Parliament. For this in which Ulster and the rest of Ireland are to have an equal voice provision should be made in the Act of Settlement. . Ireland might therefore get immediately a generous measure of Home Rule in all local affairs and be given the opportunity of obtaining powers, virtually equivalent to hose of a Dominion at the first moment that agreement between the State Legislatures can be found. Without agreement the All-Ireland powers could not be exercised by an Irish Parliament. The opposition of the strong resolute, and centralised minority in Ulster would in any circumstances — even under an Irish republic—make it impossible for an Irish Parlament to enforce its laws in that province ■without the consent of Ulster. For the first time recognition has been given to this vital fact in an All-Ireland scheme of self-government. --On Ulster is bestowed absolute independence within Ireland. There is no question of her being coerced into submission to an Irish Parliamnt. Very definitely, The Times'declares its reasoned objections to partition of Ireland. Parti ton cannot be a lasting settlement. What the British people desire is a basis on which a lasting settlement of the Irish question can be constructed. ’ Tiie Times proposal for the pacification } of Ireland has had a very friendly I reception on the whole. The republican element for which Sinn Fein stands, is recalcitrant, but it is manifest that national interests must go before individual likes and dislikes. The situation of Ireland as we read of it today, permits of no delay if the British nation is to live up to its reputation regarding its ability to rule its vast, peoples with uniform success and satisfaction. The situation from a national view point, deserves the ablest treatment the statesmen of Britain, can concentrate on the complex question.