The New York herald., 1921-09-16
Door Still Open to Farley,
Though Britain Cannot
Admit Independence
Of Negotiators.'
BRITISH NOTE HOPEFUL
Sim Fein to Have Ample
Time to Reconsider It.
and Agree to Talk Of
Modification.
PREMIER SUFFERS CHILL
Laid Up at Gairloch, He Says,
Revealing Visit by Boland
and McGrath to Hand
De Valera Note.
PREMIER SUFFERS CHILL

Specfas Gable to THE NEw York HERALD.
Copyright, 1921, bv THE New YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
S1on.snn, Sept. Is.
The conference which the Prime
Minister. Mr.. Lloyd George, proposed
should be held with Irish plenipoten-
siariAs in Inverness on September 20
wlll not be held. 1t was Mr.. Lloyd
George who to-day declared it Off,
But he did 1t after the Sim Fein
leaders persisted, despite the Prime
Minister'S advice, In reiterating their
demand for formal and explicit rec
ognition OF the Irish Republic and
of themselves as representatives Of
a sovereign state.
Thus the burden of the rupture
seems tonight to rest squarely with
Sim Fein. 1t is plain, however, that
the Premier has not closed the door
to resumption of negotiations.
Sim Fein's reply sent to the Prime
Minister'S note, suggesting confer
ence, and which reached him through
the hands Of the Irish ENJOYS, was
almost truculent in tone. 1t is now
clear that Lloyd George told Harry
J. Boland and canon J. Duggan, the
Sim Fein couriers, that such de-
mands must meet with rejection and
begged them to return to Dublin and
seek some other mandate.
But these envoys had hardly re-
turned to Dublin this afternoon when
Sim Fein took the bit In its teeth
and made public its answer to the
Prime Minister, as It had been trans
mitted originally. This caused Mr..
Lloyd George to withdraw his offer
for a conference and threw the whole
Irish situation back into mael-
strom. Tonight Dublin fears 1t may
be bloody maelstrom.
The Prcmser's Firm Reply.
Mr.. Lloyd Georges reply says:
II informed your emissaries
who came to me here Tuesday
that reiteration OF your claim to
negotiate with his Majesty's Gov
ernment as the representative OF
an Independent and sovereign
state would make a conference
between US impossible.
"They brought me letter from
you in which you specifically reaf-
firm that claim, stating that your
nation has formally declared its
independence and recognizes itself
as sovereign state and 1t Is
only, you added, as representa-
tives OF that state and as its
chosen guardians that we have
any authority or powers to act on
behalf of our people,
Cancels Engagement.
IL asked them to warn you OF
the very serious effect of such a
paragraph, and offered to regard
the letter as not delivered to me
in order that you might have
time to reconsider it. Despite
this in.imation you have now
published the letter in its original
form. l must accordingly cancel
the arrangements for the confer
ence next week at Inverness and
must consult my colleagues on
the course OF action this new stu
alton necessitates. l will COM
municate this to you as soon as
possible. but as I am for the mo-
ment laid up here few days de-
lay is inevitable. Meanwhile l
must make It absolutely clear that
his Majesty's Government cannot
reconsider its position. which l
have stated to you.
"If we accepted conference
with your delegates on the
formal statement OF the claim
which you have reaffirmed 1t
would constitute an oficial recog-
milton by his Majesty's Govern
ment Of the severance OF Ireland
from the empire and of its exist
ence as an independent republic.
ut would, moreover. entitle you
to declare as OF right acknowl.
edged by us that in preference
to association with the British
Empire you would pursue closer
association by treaty with some
other foreign Power. There is
only one answer possible to such
q claim as that.
"The great concessions which