BRITAIN'S OFFER

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 15 August 1921, Page 7

BRITAIN'S OFFER

SUMMARY. OF IRISH QUESTIONS STATUS OF A* DOMINION. ar CABLE—PBJBSB ASSOCIATION—COPYEIGET (Received August 15, 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, August 14. Downing street published a summary of the negotiations with Mr De i Valera. The British proposals dated July 20 express the earnest desire of the British Government to end the unhappy divisions\ and longings for a 'satisfactory solution. They are convinced that the Irish many find them as worthy of complete expression of political and spiritual ideals within i the Empire as well as any of the numerous varied nations united in allegiance to His Majesty's Throne. They desir« such a consummation not only for the welfare"of Britain, but for Ireland and the Empire, also for .the cause .of the world's peace and harmony. ! Referring to' racial differences, the British people cannot believe t.hat where Canada and South Africa have succeeded Ireland should fail. They invite Ireland to take a place in ' the great association of free nations over which His Majesty reigns. Ac an earnest of their desire to obliterate old quarrels and to enable Ireland to face the future in her own strength they propose that Ireland shall assume'forthwith the status of a Dominion, enjoying; complete autonomy in taxation and finance. She shall maintain her own courts of law, judges, and constabulary her own police and take over the Irish' postal services and all matters relating to education, land, agriculture, mines minerals, forestry, labour, unemployment, transport, trade, public health insurance and the liouor traffic. In the sum she shall exercise all the powers and privileges upon which the autonomy of the self governing Dominions is based. She shall be guaranteed in these liberties, which no foreign people can challenge without challenging the Empire as a whole. The Dominions hold by virtue of their British fellowship a standing among the nations equivalent to the combined power and influence of all the nations in the commonwealth That guarantee, that fellowship and that freedom which the Empire looks to Ireland to actiept, the British Government is prepared to give immediate effeetr*to upon the following conditions, which in their opinion are vital to the welfare and safety of Britain and Iceland :— (1) The common concern of Britain and Ireland in their defence interests on land and sea shall mutually be recognised. Britain lives on seaborne food, her communications depend on the. freedom of the great sea routes. In recognition of this fact, which nature has imposed and no sistesmanslnp can -alter, it is essential that the Royal Navy alone should coi-trol the seas round Ireland and Britain Such rights and liberties i-holi be accorded by the Irish State as are essential for naval purposes. (2) In order not to hamper the movements towards disarmament the Irish tenritorkl force shall, within reasonable limits, conform in reject to numbers fo tLe military estai lishm.ents in otheV islands. .' (3) Britain is to have all necessary facilities for the development of defence and communipasnns by air. . " (4) Britain hop< s lhat licu-nd in due coarse and of K>r own iree will, wil} contribute a proportion o f her wealth to 'he rr-zulav n&val, rnMaiy arid air forces of the Empiire. Further, it is assumed that v<-:uriary ieeruiting will be\ permitted throughout Ireland, particularly for famous Irish tregiments r (5) The British and Irish Governments shall agree to impose no protective duties or other restrictions upon the flow of transport, trade, or commerce. (6) The Irish people agree to re-' sume responsibility for and to share the present debt to the United Kingdom and liability for pensions aris- ; ing out of the great war. • The British Government propose bhat the conditions of settlement *be . Bmbodied in the form of a treaty, and look to'such an instrument to ob- ; literate the old conflicts forthwith and slear the way to a detailed settlement in full accordance with Irish conditions and. needs. The form which the settlement shall take depends on Ireland herself, and must allow for full recognition of the existing powers and privileges of the Parliament and Government of Northern Ireland, which cannot be abrogated excent by its own consent. Union came to Canada by the free consent of the provinces, and so with Australia- and South Africa. It will come ,to Ireland in no other way than by consent. The British Government will undertake to give effect to any terms in this respect on which all Ireland unites. In n# condition can the British consent to any i proposals which kindle civil war in * Ireland. Throughout the Empire there I is a deep desire that the day of- vio- ! lence shall pass, and a solution be-1 found consonant with the highest ! ideals and interests of all parts of Ire- ! land, which will enable her to co- ' operate as a willing partner in the , British Commonwealth. The British I Government therefore leave Irishmen themselves to determine by negotiations whether the new powers shall be ! taken over by Ireland as a whole or I separately by Southern and Northern Ireland. By these proposals i^he British Govettmmenf" sincerely believe that j they have shattered the foundations of ancient hatred and distrust which have disfigured our history for centuries. The future of Ireland is within the Commonwealth. It is for the Irish people to share. In the foregoing the British Government has attempted no more than a broad outline of settlement. The details they leave to discussion when the Irish people have signified their acceptance of the pact.

MR DE VALERA'S REPLY

Mr De Valera' letter points out that. the outline given in the draft of July /O is self contradictory, and the principle of the pact is not easy to deter- • mine. "We appreciate and accent it so far as it implies recognition of Ireland s separate nationhood and the ! right of self-determination but in the stipulations and express conditions concerning vital matters this principle is /°t? S\ set as.ide- Claims are advanced by the British Government to interference m Irish affairs, the control of which we cannot admit. Ireland's right to choose her own nath towards her destiny has been maintained through centuries of oppression and at the "cost of unparalelled sacrifice and suffering We will not hurrender to Britain or any other foreign State. We cannot claim to interfere with that right in order to serve our own inter-, .sis. The Irish people believe that their national destS™Lf reaV SGd P political detachment from free Imperialistic entanglement. Ireland, like the small States of Europe, i* prepared to haSrd her independence < ;V the hasis of her moral right and is confident that as she would threaten no nation her Scrole Sve d b TVree- f™ m "EK^oi Pth°e Pm! selves This policy H.p Irish have declared m plebiscite nfrov nlrhWte '' "Everyone understanding the conrli tions knows that , Dm^ion S?^ for .Ireland would ' c fiiusory. '^

freedom which the British Dominions j pijoy 1S not so much the result of | iegai enactments and treaties as th« immense distances separating them jrora Britain, making interference by JBnO 111 impracticable. Most explicit guar&hi6^, including the Dominions' acknowJ#9i^ ed "S^* tcj secede, would be nece&g&fy^i® „ secure to Ireland an equal degree ©f Vreedom. There is no suggestion in youf of any sjoch. guarantees. Instead, the natural positioH is reversed. afc»d pur geographical situation in »espeet to Britain is made the basis of denials and restrictions unheard of itf the case of the Dominions, The'- IsmaHer island must give military" 1 * safeguards and guarantees to the larger and to suffer" itself to be reduced to the position of a helpless dependency. It will be obvious that we could not urge our people to accept such proposals. A certain treaty of free association with the . British Commonwealth group, as with a partial League of Nations, we would be ready to recommend, negotiate, and take responsibility for, if we had the assurance that the entry of the nation as a. whole into such sin association would secure for it the allegiance of the present dissenting minority. Treaties for free intertrade, mutual limitation of armaments, and agreements facilitating air" and railway and other communication's can i be effected and no obstacle will he placed in the way of smooth commercial intercourse to both islands. "All treaties and agreements would have to be ratified firstly by the Nabional Legislature, and trabsequently ! by the Irish people under circum- ; stances of free decision from which military compulsion would be absent, i We are prepared to leave the question 1 of Ireland's liability for a share of the j present d§bt of the . United Kingdom i to a board of .arbitrators, one mem- i ber to be appointed by Ireland, one i by Britain, and a third to be chosen, by agreement, or, in default, to be nominated, say, by the American President. "Regarding the question at issue between the- political minority and the great majority of the Irish people, that must remain a question for the Irish people themselves to settle. We cannot admit the right of the British Government to mutilate our country either in their own interests or at the call of a.ny section of bur population. We do not contemplate the use of force. If your Government stands aside we can affect a complete reconciliation. We are willing for this' question, too, to be submitted to external arbitration. We are ready to meet you in all reasonable and just responsibility for initiating and effecting an honourable peace, which rests primarily on your Government. We have no 'conditions to impose, and no claims but one —that we be free from aggression.'' ■ ii »———— i