FROM THE ARCHIVES:As the public debate in the Dáil on the Treaty went on for a second day in 1921, the London Letter from
The Irish Timesstaff covered the British reaction to events in Dublin.
- JOE JOYCE
THE RESULT of the Dáil deliberations was expected to-day, but up to the time when the evening newspapers went to press no word had reached London. People here are frankly puzzled at the Dublin proceedings, for most of them supposed that the gift of self- government, so freely offered by the Government here, would be as freely accepted. Naturally, they do not understand the cross- currents of Irish politics, or why Mr de Valera and Mr Collins should be at loggerheads.
It is to be hoped that acceptance will not be longer delayed, for the enthusiasm for Ireland and things engendered by the signature of the agreement at Downing Street is now beginning to cool off.
If Ireland only could extend the olive branch in the same manner as it was proffered, the two countries would be brought closer together than for many years past. Someone has sent me from America the December issue of an illustrated publication called the Survey-Graphic.
The present issue is almost wholly devoted to the answers given by a number of prominent Irishmen and Irishwomen to the question: “What would the Irish do with Ireland?”
“Æ” leads off. His leading idea is that, Gaelic being taught in every school, the next generation will be bi-lingual, and that, though English, being spoken by so many great nations on so many Continents, will not be superseded, yet the Irish people in a short time will have a civilisation as distinct in character as the Japanese.
Another of his anticipations may be pleasant to the powers about to be, for he looks forward to there being in Ireland “some thousands of self-governing economic communities leaving but little for the Central Government to do for them.”
He rather dreads an Irish Government “beginning work with the ferocity of a new broom,” and “attempting in five years what more placid States would consider well achieved in 25.”
Mr Erskine Childers, on the other hand, in a paper on Government under the Dáil Éireann, thinks that the nation will be averse from a quasi- Federal organisation and that the advocates for centralisation are in the ascendant.
In regard to the vexed question of Irish armaments, he thinks that defence expenditure will not be large, and that Ireland “should be content with a modest Army and Air Force, a small naval establishment, purely for coast defence and fishing and revenue protection.”
In an article on Ulster’s position Richard Rowley says that very few Ulstermen regard the partition of Ireland with favour, and that it will require only statesmanship and generosity ultimately to reconcile them. But “the northeast corner must be won by conviction. It must have proved to it the capacity of Celtic Ireland to govern itself wisely and unselfishly.”
http://url.ie/8hjv