New-York tribune., 1916-07-29
SEES CHANCE
oFHOME RULE
Lloyd Georget to Strive
Until Irish Problem
Is Solved.

London, July 2S.-Replying to re-
quest for his views on the breakdown
of negotiations for putting Irish home
Rule into effect immediately, DAVID
LLOYD George to-day said:
81 don't despair about an eventual
solution of the Irish problem, in spite
of the recent failure TO reach an agree
ment between the Nationalists and the
Unionists.
1--WE achieved at least one thing that
had never hitherto been accomplished
We brought the representatives of the
Irish Nationalists and the Ulster
Unionists to the point Of shaking
hands, instead of shaking fists at eacn
other"
Mr.. Lloyd George is still full Of op-
timism regarding the Irish difiicuity'
He feels that q solution can be reached,
and il is his intention to strive on until
ne is successful. Questioned whether
the Nationalists were justified in re-
fusing the proposed settlement MI
Lloyd George said:
"Never has better offer been msde
by all the British parties together
The only new stipulation inserted was
one concerning the British, and not
the Irish Parliament. The moment the
demand was put forward by the I'm
ionists that Ireland should be repre-
sented at Westminster only in pro-
portion to her population. except when
the question of the Irish settlement
was under consideration, it had to be
conceded
Main Principles Remain.
at Is true" he continued, shat the
Home Rule act is on the statute book,
but only with the pledge that before
IL becomes operative an amending bill
is TO be passed dealing with the ex-
clusion of Ulster"
The Secretary said the main prin-
ciples of the settlement remain, name
ly. the immediate creation Of an lrisn
Parliament, exclusion for the present
for the part of Ireland which Is un-
willing to participate in the Home
Rule measure, and consideration OF
the whole question Of the future OF
the Irish government by an imperial
conference at the close Of the war.
He added that naturally he was some
what saddcEed by the i'll success OF his
attempt to bring both the Irish parties
completely together.
"I have always been an ardent Home
Ruler during my political career and
still remain one" Mr.. Lloyd George
said. an my opinion, a nation which
can and does produce such soldiers as
the Irish troops, who are now hghtlng
bv the side of their fellow Britons
from all over the empire with valor
almost indescribsble, and which gives
US such intellects in all branches OF
life, can and must rule itself
Disagreement on Two Points.
Questioned as to how the breach in
the negotiations came about, Mr.. Lloyd
George said:
There were two points on which
there was disagreement at the end OF
the negotiations. One dealt with the
means by which the exclusion OF the
six Ulster counties was TO continue OF
to be brought to an end. This, to my
view, although | believe Mr.. Redmond
differs on that point, was less q matter
of substance than Of words.
"The Nationalists agreed it was i'm
possible that the Ulster counties should
be coerced into an Irish Parliament. II
was understood that when they were
willing TO come in no one would seek
20 keep them out. Their exclusion fol
the present would not have affected in
the slightest degree the, full power:
given TO the Nationalist party Of Ire
land under the Home Rule act. The
question of their coming in voluntarily
afterward could have been decided
when il had been seen how Home Rule
WAS working out.
THE second point was connected