16 SEPTEMBER 1922, Page 2

Meanwhile, Mr. De Valera has been sufficiently encouraged by the

success of his followers in murdering, burning, pillaging and levying blackmail on helpless persons to issue a new state- ment of policy. He made it to the Dublin correspondent of the Manchester Evening News. It was to the effect that some revision of the Treaty was still possible if " men of good will would set themselves to the task." He added that if such a revision were not undertaken there would be in Ireland " a violent political agitation and turmoil " for many years to come. As for the,U1ster question, he said that it was " an Irish domestic question," and must be settled by Irishmen themselves. The Treaty meant " coercion of the South." Mr. De Valera's conception of what men of good will ought to do is peculiar. There was a very large majority for the Treaty but Mr. De Valera, with the logic of a proletarian, assumes that good will resides in the small minority and wants that small minority to show its good will by holding up and killing as many as possible of their countrymen. If this is not madness, what is ?