The Irish Free State Government has succeeded in getting an
ample 'vote for the Boundary Pact. The threatened fusion between the Republicans and the Labour group has so far come to nothing. The Repub- licans would not have taken their seats in any case, but such a fusion might have been most embarrassing to the Free State. Sir James Craig on Friday, December 11th, said that he rejoiced in the settlement not only for its own sake but because the signs of the times were favourable to a removal of the Customs barrier between North and South. " That would be worth all the pacts and treaties ever signed." Mr. Stephen Gwynn in his Irish notes in the Observer last Sunday made a very generous admission winch we must give ourselves the pleasure of quoting. - He referred to Captain -Redmond's explan- ation of why he could not vote for the Boundary Pact, namely, that he could not " accept responsibility for the partition' which the Nationalist Party had always re- pudiated." Mr. Gwynn adds, " He is quite right. We did. And that is the great mistake we made. If we had insisted on saying to Ulster, 'Very well, take your own time ; come in when you like,' Ireland would be a better pluee -to-day." * - * *•
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