The New York herald., 1921-08-18
NEW SINN FEIN OFFER
NDORSED IN LONDON
ON MOST OF POINTS
De Valera in Outlining Lat
est Plan Asserts Lloyd
Georges Proposals Can
Only Be Rejected.
BALKS AT FORCED TIES
Leader Cheered When He
Says: We Cannot, We Will
Not OH Behalf Of This Ma
ton Accept Terms
OLIVE BRANCH TO ULSTER
Speech Aims to Tell L. s. That
Sentiment as Well as Ma
teriaI Terms Is
Involved.
OLIVE BRANCH TO ULSTER

Special Cable to THE NEW yoRK HIRAM
Copyright, 1921. by THE NEW YoRK HrRMp
DUBLIN, Aug. 17.-President de Va.
lera to-day, speaking for the Dali
Efreann, unequivocally declared that
Premier Lloyd Georges proposals for
settlement of the Irish question
would be rejected. But there is more
than hint tonight that the Dali
Eireann will make a counter pro.
posal. And there is also more than
hint from the British side in the
quarters where the liaison with the
Irish has been closest that the coun.
ter offer will not be rejected.
After he had denounced the British
terms De Valera held out to Ulster
an offer to get together and pro.
ceeded in highly conciliatory vein to
disavow any enmity toward England
end to recognize the need for cooper.
alton. Then came this extremely
significant sentence.
But it is not likely that we will
seek combination. II 1t is simply a
combination, with our enemy. hith.
erto our greatest despoiler, that she
may seek by such combination to
despoil US further.
still, an association that will be
| consistent with our right to see that
we are the judges OF our own in.
\ terests and not others-a combina.
| tion OF that kind would, believe.
commend itself to our colleagues. But
/ II must be combination amounting
| to free and friendly cooperation
4 with which Great Britain herself de.
scribes cooperation with her other
dominions. Free and friendly CO.
operation is one thing: forced CO
operation is another"
Mr.. de Valera added that there never
had been union, therefore there could
not be secession. and that if the ne
gotiations were 10 be continued Ire
land should act as a separate nation,
as II did when the negotiations started
Hns Kind WORDS for Ulster.
Then he spoke extremely concilia-
tcry toward Ulster. stating that he
was willing 10 assume greater sacri-
fices in favor OF Ulster than for Great
Britain. In other words. the Ulster
problem is one that both sides are
willing to leave in abeyance to reach
Its own solution, and both sides feel
confident that this will follow.
The hub OF the entire difficulty re-
wolves about the question Of sover-
eighty, and there is way out OF that,
according to the optimists on both
sides. Sim Feln all along has been
| insisting on a recognition Of Irish ma
tionhood. Premier Lloyd Georges last
letter. rejecting all possibilities Of Sc
cession from the Crown, seems at first
glance to shatter that. But De Valera
asserted to-day that he would never
have gone to london II 1t had been
stated that the condition precedent 10
those negotiations was that Irish na-
| tionhood could not be acknowledged.
Now the suggestion comes from quar-
ters anything but Sim F'ein that that
nationhood is already implicitly ac-
knowledged BY the following facts
Points Made by Sim Fein.
First and foremost. the British
forces have not interfered while this
separatist parliament was In session,
while il talked OF It's own rights and
while It swore sole fealty to its own
rather than TO British sovereignty.
second. Mr.. Lloyd George repre-
senting the British Government, has
already received and replied 10 letters
sent to him by De Valera on station
cry OF the Free Irish State"
Third, every effort Is made by the
British to create the impression that
the offers were made to organized Ire
land
Fourth. De Valera has not yet de-
nounced and no Sim Fein spokesman
yet denounces the possibility Of a FREQ
Irish organization still under the Brit
ish Crown.
In fact. time ana again to-day he
\ Valera hinted at the desirabllity Of the
status or those other British Common
wealths that are under the Crown but
are perfectly free.
Firm. and most important through
out De Vaiera's speech and throughout
all the conversations Of his supporters
to-day there was no disposition TO OBJ
! iect 10 the material points laid down
/ By Lloyd Georges demands. but only
\ % the fact that thev are demands laid
4 down by "a foreign Power" in viola
\ tion OF irish sovereignty.
Now II is suggested In a fashion which
4 leads 10 the belief that the suggestion