The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-05
IRISH PEACE
NEGOTIATIONS
BREAK DOWN
Dali Eireann Delegates Ex-
pected to Return to Ireland
at Once No Immediate
Hostilities Expected.
TRUCE IS IN EFFECT
(By Associated Press)

LONDON, Dec. 5-The Irish peace
negotiations have broken down, &C
cording TO statements in responsible
quarters today. and the dali eireann
delegates are expected to return to
Ireland tomorrow or Wednesday.
The truce still remains in effect and
no immediate resumption of hostilities
is looked for.
The crisis in the Irish peace nego-
tiations held the exclusive attention
of official circles today Premier
Lloyd George obtained an audience
with King George and explained the
situation to him. after which the Brit
ish peace representative held a con-
ference. This was followed by
meeting of the entire cabinet
The Irish delegation of yesterday
informed Premier Lloyd George that
the governments latest proposals
were unacceptable to the Dali Eireanu
ca binet.
Questions at Issue
The big questions at issue between
the British government ard the repre-
sentatives of the Irish Republican par
Lament have been: Shall Ireland be
come entirely independent or. If it re
main within the British empire, shall
there be two separate governments in
Ireland, one for Ulster and one for
the rest of the country?
Prime Minister Lloyd George has re.
fused to consider any proposal which
would put Ireland outside the empire.
The Sim Feiners refused to admit
that Ireland should be split in Two
parts.
Ulster refused to unite in one par
lament with the Sim Feiners. II has
organized a parliament of its own un-
der the Government of Ireland Act
The Sim Feiners refused to set up
a parliament for the south of Ireland
as proposed in that act They adhered
to their own Irish parliament, called
the dali eireann. which they had set
up independently as the governing
body of the Irish republic.
That was the situation when the
truce began last July, after King
George had made a conciliatory speech
at the opening of the new parliament
in Ulster
Purpose of Negotiations
The purpose of the negotiations, as
defined by Lloyd George and accepted
by the Sim Fein representatives is
to ascertain how the association of
Ireland with the community of nations
known as the British Empire may be
best reconciIed with Irish national as
pirations.'
The conferences began in July. Both
sides have at times entertained high
i er hopes of final and satisfactory
! settlement probably than at any time
since the Irish question became a
| thorn in the side of the British EN-
pire. but there have been several cri.
ses when the negotiations seemed
doomed to failure
! The first of these occurred when
| Lloyd George offered TO de Valera at
! consultation in London a form of self
/ government in Ireland something like
that prevailing in the British domin
ions The Dali Eireann utterly re
iected this proposal on the ground that
il did not afford even genuine dOmin
ion rule
Premier Baked
Lloyd George endeavored to resume
negotiations but this move seemel
likely to be baked by de Valera's in
sistenCe that the Irish delegates Il
such a conference must be accepted
as having derived their authority from
a free and Independent Ireland. Th'
British Premier refused TO concedt
that point as, he said, it would con
stitute a recognition at the very out
set of Ireland's claims for separation
from the British empire.
| This obstacle was overcome by tn
two parties agreeing upon Lloyt
Georges formula that the purpose o
the conference should be to ascertain
how Ireland's association with the en-
pire might be best reconciled witt
Ireland's national aspirations.
Under that formula. meetings hav
been in progress since early October
The proceedings have been secret I
has been reported, however. that Brit
ish representatives. submitted a pls
to give Ireland a status of "associa
, ton with the empire and TO alloy
her an almost complete measure @
selfgovernment to be exercised b
| separate paTliaments in Ulster au
South Ireland. respectively, and by
- central council pointly chosen
, This brought Ulster again into tn
negotiations and compelled Premie
Lloyd George to defer his trip TO th
. Washington conference on limitatio
t of armament so that he could devot
his time to an effort to overcome q
steT's hesitation or objection TO c.
operate with the South of Ireland I
= any form of common government.
: The general understanding was thu
the Sim Fein delegates insisted tha
there must be no partition of Irelan
, into the North and South with diffe
t ent forms of government and diffe
ent relations to the empire.
To reconcile these conflicting vie
points, Lloyd George invited Sir Jane
/ Craig, the Ulster premier. to come
o London in the first week of Noyembt
J. to talk things over. The situatio
D.. was so delicate that Sir James desire
the support and advice Of other Ulst'
> leaders and finally all the membrs
9 the Ulster cabinet were called to Lo
A don. Unionist opinion in England h;
been steadfastly against any "coercic
of Ulster"
a