The New York herald., 1921-07-07
irish PROBLEM IS
SOLUBLE If WE ALL
HELP SAYS SHUTS
South African Premier Had
Conferred in Dublin
With De Valera.
HEARD SINN FEN TALK
Entire British Empire
Should Try to Wipe Out
Stain on It's Record
HE SEES LLOYD GEORGE
Leaders Meet Secretly in Con-
venient London Rendezvous
and Review Situation.
HE SEES LLOYD GEORGE
By the Associated Press.


LONDON, July 6.--Gen. Jan Christian
SHUTS, Premier of the Union Of South
Africa, who has Just returned from a
visit to Ireland, where he conferred
with Mr.. De Valera and South Ireland
Unionists. publicly expressed his
opinion tonight that the Irish prob
lem is soluble. This statement was
greeted with loud applause by the
distinguished company which attended
a dinner given in honor of Gen. Smuts
by the South African colony in Lon
don.
Gen. Smuts. who conferred for
many hours to-day with the British
Prime Minister, Sir James Craig, the
Ulster Premier and other officials, is
confidently believed to have been the
bearer of definite proposals from DE
Valera and those associated with him.
A despatch from Dublin says the
Irish Bulletin, organ of the Dali Fire
ann, declares that there Is no hostility
toward Northeast Ulster by the other
parts Of Ireland. 1t declares:
Mr.. De Valera has admitted that
their claim to autonomy is just. They
will receive from the Irish people
terms more generous and legisla-
ture more dignified than Lloyd George
conferred on them, but on one condi-
tion-that they cease to allow North
east Ulster to be used in Carson's
works as a bridgehead for the con-
quest and subsection OF Ireland"
THE Irish problem" Gen. Smuts
told the South Africans, was one en-
gaging the whole British Empire" II
was a problem. however, of which he
could not speak tonight, except to
express the belief that It was soluble
and that III we all help to create
better atmosphere and are determined
to wipe out what Is really a stain on
the empires record we shall succeed.
Therefore" ne continued emphati-
cally. 'I think, / am hopeful, l trust.
that the question will be solved. and
that thereby the British Empire will be
freed from the imputation that in this
ancient part of the United Kingdom
there still exists violation Of the funda-
mental principles upon which the en-
pire rests. I say that the problem is
soluble because / have seen II solved In
my own country. under circumstances
less embittered than in Ireland. but
certainly OF very difficult character,
too.
''If ever this problem of the sub
lection of one people to another pre-
sented a hopeless view it was in South
Africa. But finally, in a spirit OF give
and take, forbearance and trying to
render something to the point OF view
of the other side, We solved the problem,
and to-day South Africa Is one OF the
bappiest countries In the empire. Our
and self-sacrifice have paid
us handsome dividends in our national
life"
Gen. Smuts opened his speech by de-
claring that he had not abandoned hope
of America. "She is a COY maiden and
must not be wooed too warmly" he
said. II want to see America pull with
US in this great world service that to-
day Is being rendered by the British EN-
pire almost alone"
Then. alluding humorously to his
visit to ireland, he declared he found
the people divided into two classes
those in Jail. and those on the run"
He added that he himself had been
among those on the run, seeking to
escape reporters and cameramen.