The "Welsh Wizard" (or lizard as I've heard some say) was an experienced politician with a pocket-full of aces. The partition issue was effectively "settled" from the British perspective quite some time before the negotiations started. De Valera is thought to have been well aware of that fact, but hard evidence seems to be in short supply. When the "plenipotentiaries" got to London, one of Lloyd George's first "tricks" was to get Arthur Griffith aside privately and persuade him to buy into the idea of a "temporary partition", and keep it a secret from the others. Griffith is conidered by many to have been an honest and well-meaning negotiator, but simply gullible and not up to the task of dealing with the "Welsh Wizard". There are two videoa available wich deal with the treaty tale and Collin's death. Both were made by a Welshman (whose name escapes me at the moment) and were supressed by the British Govt. for 25 years. The one about Collins is called "Hang out your brightest and best", or something very close to that. Any competent video store can find that one in the industry catalogue, and from that, the other one about the treaty. They are very well done and well worth acquiring for your personal collection if you are truly interested in the subject area.