The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-18
DEVALERA ACCEPTS
 ENGLAND'S TERMS
 FOR PEACE FARLEY
Lloyd George Refusal to Me- gotiate on Independent Ireland" Basis Recognized by Elm
By Associated Press

Dublin, September 17.-Eamon De Valera, replying to Lloyd George, says that the Sim Fein already has accepted the premiers invitation in his own exact terms.
 They had not asked the premier to abandon any principle, and had only one object in seeking a conference on the basis of truth he says.
 Mir. DeValera's reply to the prime minister's telegram was given out by the Sim Fein publicity depart Black Rock and brought to the Mansion house. where 1t was made public by Arthur Griffith and Eamon J. Duggan, and was distributed to the press by Desmond Fitzgerald, propaganda minister.
 The expectation here Is that 1t will make possible a renewal of the invi- tation to peace conference.
 Prime Minister Lloyd George had told Ramon DeValera on Friday that to receive the Sim Fein dele gates to the proposed conference as representatives of an independent and sovereign state would constitute formal and official recognition of Ire lands severence from the Kings do- mains"
 Lloyd George said that so long as DeValera insists that the Irish dele gates should confer as the reprcsen- tatives of an independent and SOW ereign state, a conference Is impos- | slble.
 No Free State Talk In his reply Lloyd George declares lit is idle to say that conference
  had to meet the Slnn Fein penipo- tentiaries as the representatives of an independent and sovereign state would be a conference without prejudice"
 ITO receive them as such" the prime minister said, would consti- tute formal and official recognition of Ireland's severence from the Kings domain. It would entitle them | to make treaty. but it would equal ly entitle them to make no treaty and to break off the conference at any point and negotiate union of Ireland with foreign power. The government is prepared to discuss how the association of Ire. land with the British empire coult best be reeonciled with Irish arpira- | tion, but they could not consent to any abandonment, however informal, Of the principle of allegiance to the | King upon which the whole fabric of the empire and every constitution In if are based"
 The text Of MT. Lloyd Georges communication follows:
 sir: have received the commu- nication which you telegraphed me l last night. It would be idle to say | that a conference in which we had already met your delegates, as rep resentatives of an independent and 1 sovereign state, would be confer ence without prejudice. To receive l them as such would constitute for nal and official recognition of Ire lands severence from the kings do- mains. It would entitle you, if you thought fit. to make a treaty of amity with the king, but 1t would equally entitle you to make no treaty at all, to break off the conference with US at any point and by the right which we ourselves had all ready recognized to negotiate un- ion of Ireland with a foreign power. 1 Hold To Rights | Tt would also entitle you. If you insisted upon another appeal to force, to claim from foreign powers by our implicit admission, the rights of law ful belligerents against the king for, | if we dealt with you as sovereign I
 | and independent state, we should have no right to complain of other powers following our example.
 These would be the consequences | of receiving your delegates as the representatives of an independent state, we are prepared in the words of my letter of September T. to dis cuss with you how the association | of Ireland with the community Of nations known as the British Elm | pire, can best be reconciled with Irish national aspirations.' | We cannot consent to any aban- | donment, however informal, of the principle of allegiance to the king, upon which the whole fabric of the empire ard every constitution with | in 1t are based.
 "ft< is fatal to that principle that | your delegates in the conference | should be there as the representa- tives of an independent and sovereign state, while you insist on claiming that conference between us Is i'm | possible"