Evening star., 1921-12-07

Negotiations between the leaders of
the Sim Fein and Ulster elements in
Ireland and the British government
were started on June 25, 1s21-three
days after King Georges appeal for
peace at the opening of the Ulster
parliament in Belfast-when Premier
Lloyd George invited canon De Va
lera and Sir James Craig, the Ulster
premier, to confer with him in Lon
don. De Valera accepted the invita-
ton on July and thereupon truce
was agreed to, taking effect July IL.
Members of the dali eireann, or
Irish parliament. who were imprls-
oned were set free to enable them 10
vote on the proposals for q settlement
of the long conflict. Others who were
in hiding were offered immunity from
arrest or prosecution SO that tney
also could attend the meeting OF the
dail.
ever. expressed an unwillingness 10
attend a parley until he first had OBJ
tanned the views of Craig and other
irish minority spokesmen, mean
while declaring he could see no ave,
nue. for peace while irish unity ahu
self -determination were denied. Craig
declined to attend the Dublin con-
was nevertheless held with De Va
lera, Arthur Griffith. founder of the
Sim Fein: Gen. Jan Christian Smuts,
South African premier. and four
southern unionists present
The London conference began July
July 21. when De Valera left to pre-.
sent the British proposals to the dali
eireann, or Irish parliament. In Dub
lin.
Briefly. the British proposals offered
dominion home rule for Ireland, but
to secede from their allegiance to the
British crown. They were dated
July 20 and Tin addition) offered Ire
land complete autonomy in taxation
and finance. to maintain her own mill
tary for home defense and her own
service, education, land. mines, hous-
ing, trade, transport, the liquor traf-
fic" and all similar powers of self
governing British dominions.
These provided that the British navy
should control the seas around the
British Isles, that the Irish military
force should conform in numbers to
the military establishments in other
parts of Great Britain. that Great
necessary facility in ireland for the
development of air defense, that Ire
land should agree to contribute to
the naval and military forces of the
British empire, that Ireland should
raise no tariff or trade restrictions
against Great Britain and that Ire
land should assume q share Of the
United Kingdoms present debt and
pensions.
Still further. the proposals includ-
ed the full recognition by southern
Ireland of the Ulster government
with all its rights and privileges.
The part played by Gen. Smuts in
the negotiations is generally con-
sidered to have been very important
His views were set forth August 4 in
a long letter to De Valera, in which
he recounted his own peoples ex-
perience in setting up the South
African Union and counseled mod
GRAFTON and forbearance. His letter
seemed to many Irishmen to carry
more liberal assurances than Lloyd
Georges bare terms and some of
them urged the premier to say wheth-
er he stood by it as part of the terms.
On August 10, six days before the
dali convened. De Valera, vofcing the
opinion of himself and cabinet, re-
piled to Lloyd Georges overture and
refused the offer as q whole, because,
he said, it was elf-contradfctory."
The Irish republican leader and his
colleagues, while rejecting the offer
of dominion rule for Ireland, said
they approved certain parts OF 1t,
namely, autonomy in fnan4e and
taxation, military ferces Tor home
defense, Irish police ana the control
of the irish postal service.
J In his letter to Lloyd George De