Llyod George’s Promise on ‘Essential
Unity’
Introduction from
Chronology
Writing to de Valera about the previous day’s meeting one-to-one meeting
with Llyod George, Griffith wrote that Llyod George complained about the Irish
reply of October 29th (see Oct-29-21/1) saying that it was “so
worded that he did not know where he stood”.
He went on to say that he had to “meet the Die-Hards next day [in the
British House of Commons] and he could easily beat them … but the Crown, free
partnership with the British Empire and facilities for the British Navy on the
Irish coast – these were vital matters. … If Griffith could give him personal
assurance on this matter he would go smite the Die-Hards and would fight on the
Ulster matter to secure essential unity”.
(Furthermore, Griffith said that Llyod George said that he could carry a
Six-County Parliament subordinate to a National, i.e. Irish, Parliament.
Alternatively, he said that he would try to carry a plan for a new boundary, or
a vote by Ulster as a single unit on inclusion or exclusion but that “he was
not hopeful of doing so”. See Nov-01-21/1 for Griffith proposed personal
assurances to Llyod George.)
Comment on Llyod George’s Promise on
‘Essential Unity’.
As Matthews points
“It is difficult to see how Llyod George could have kept such a bargain”.
As Churchill had said
at the British cabinet meeting on October 25th (see Oct-25-21/3) “We can’t give
way on the six Counties.” Birkenhead had
agreed with Churchill.
In addition, on October
30th/31st, Chamberlain wrote to his wife saying “F.E.
[Smith i.e. Birkenhead] and I are so pledged that we could not alter the Ulster
boundaries (by subtraction, I mean) or powers without Craig’s consent.”
Chamberlain also says that Ulster “would be the worst ground to fight on that
one can imagine; for the Six Counties was a compromise, and, like all
compromises, is illogical and indefensible, and you could not raise an army in
England to fight for that as we could
for Crown and Empire. We should
therefore be obliged to resign if L. G. proposed to force Ulster into a
sacrifice”. In other words, Chamberlain was saying that if an attempt was made
to “force Ulster to sacrifice”, then both he and Birkenhead would have to
resign from the British cabinet.
Therefore, at the
same time that Llyod George was telling Griffith that, if Griffith gave him
undertakings on Crown and Empire, the he would fight for essential unity,
senior members of his cabinet and fellow negotiators (Chamberlain, Birkenhead
and, probably, Churchill) are saying that they would resign if Llyod George
tries to force Craig to accept a settlement that was not to his liking.
At a minimum, Llyod
George was dissembling but it would seem much more likely that he was being mendacious. See Nov-03-21/1