IRELAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18324, 15 August 1921, Page 5

IRELAND

PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. THE GOVERNMENT'S TERMS SINN FEIN COUNTER PROPOSALS. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, August 12. The Daily Express says that Mr Lloyd George regards Mr De Valera’s letter submitting counter-proposals as a rejection of tho Government’s terms. The Sinn Fein leaders are astonished at this interpretation. It is expected that Cabinet will reply to Mr De Valera on Saturday. In some quarters the belief is expressed that if an agreement is not reached Mr Lloyd George will appeal to the country immediately on the question of whether hostilities shall bo resumed with Ireland. The Viceroy (Lord Fitzalan) and the Commander of the Forces in Ireland (Sir Nevil Macready) have left Dublin for London. —A. and N.Z. Cable. MR DE VALERA’S LETTER. IMPRESSIONS IN ENGLAND. LONDON, August 12. (Received Aug. 14, at 5.5 p.m.) The Morning Post’s lobbyist states the general impression is that Mr De Valera is demanding a general amnesty and the withdrawal of all auxiliaries and the Royal Irish Constabulary, the British Government to pay all compensation for claims arising out of murders, woundings, and destruction to property, which is estimated to aggregate £7,000,000. Some newspapers confirm the report that the Government regards Mr De Valera’s letter as an equivalent to the rejection of the terms. The letter is obscurely worded, being the handiwork of two or three persons, but it lengthily details the kind of self-government which the Sinn Fein wants. The Dublin correspondent of the Daily News states that the letter reiterates the demand for complete independence for Ireland, and submits proposals for tional guarantees of her integrity and neutrality.—A. and N.Z. Cable, COMPLETE INDEPENDENCE. MR DE VALERA’S CLAIMS. LONDON, August 14. (Received Aug. 14, at 11.5 p.m.) Mr D© Valera’s letter asserting Ireland’s claim for complete independence, which it was thought the Sinn Fein had abandoned, throws back the negotiations, but there has been no rupture. Mr Lloyd George’s reply is expected to emphasise the point that a settlement is impossible except on the principles embodied in tho terms offered. The Cabinet met yesterday morning. Lord Fitzalan, Sir NevilMacready, and General Tudor attended. It is understood that the Cabinet’s reply to Mr De Valera will be sent in time for the, meeting of the Dail Eireann on Tuesday.—A. and N.Z. Cable. THE WAY TO A SETTLEMENT. LEAVE ULSTER ALONE. GENERAL SMUTS’S VIEWS. LONDON, August 14. (Received Aug. 14, at 11.5 p.m.) General Smuts, before sailing for home, wrote to Mr De Valera as follows: “I have, done my best to arrange a meeting between you and Sir Jas. Craig, but while he is willing to meet you ii conference with Mr Lloyd George ho still remains unwilling to meet you in his absence. Nothing I was able to do or sav moved him from that attitude. If you request a meeting he will reply saying that Ulster will not be moved from the constitutional position which she now occupies under the existing legislation. She is satisfied with her present status and will not agree to any change. On the other hand, in your letter you insist on Ulster coming into the United Ireland Constitution, and that until that is done no further progress can be made. There is, therefore, an impasse which I do not know how to get over. Both you and Sir Jas. Craig are equally immovable. Force as a solution of the problem is out of the question both on your and hi. promises, and the process of arriving at an agreement will therefore take time. “My conviction is that for the present no solution based on Ulster’s entering the Irish State can succeed. Any solution on those lines will be foredoomed to failure. I believe it to be in Ulster’s interest to come in, and that the force of community over a period of years would prove compelling, but at present an Irish settlement is only possible if Ulster is left alone. My strong advice to you is to leave her alone and concentrate on a constitution for the remaining counties, and by a successful running of the Irish State eventually bring Ulster in. Ireland is travelling the same painful road as South Africa did, but with wisdom and moderation she is destined to achieve the success and freedom which will lead inevitably to unity. “As to that freedom you are called on to choose between two alternatives. You say that a Republic is the true expression of national self-determination. The British Prime Minister made an offer of the other form of freedom on a dominion status, which is working with complete success in other parts of the British League. What is good for these ought to he good enough for Ireland, and for Irishmen to say to the world that they will not be satisfied with a dominion status would be to alienate that sympathy which has been the maipstay of the Irish cause. “The Prime Minister offers a complete dominion status to 25 counties, subject to certain strategic safeguards which you are asked to agree to voluntarily as a free dominion, and which we South Africans agreed to. To my mind such an offer by the Prime Minister, who, unlike his predecessor, is in position to deliver the goods, is an event of unique importance. It is far more than was offered to the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. They accepted a far less generous offer, and from it improved their position, nrr South Africa became happy and contented and a completely free country. I hope you will become a sister dominion in the great circle of equal States, who will stand beside you should you need help and protect your new rights as if th were their own ; who would view any invasion or violation of that status as if it were their own, and who would give yoi the most effective guarantiee against any arbitrary interference by the British Gov eminent. ‘7 am satisfied that from a constitutional point of view a settlement of th° Irish question is now possible and practicable. It is the human difficulty which remains, and it is now mostly a human problem. It will be the gravest reflection on our statesmanship if this auspicious moment should be allowed to pass. “You and your friends have a unique opportunity, such as Parnell and his predecessors never had to secure a lastin'! peace. I pray God you may be wisely guided, and that peace will be concluded before tempers change and another generation of strife tnsues.”—A. and N.Z. Cable.