The Washington herald., 1921-10-09
Delegates Get Rousing
Greeting on Arrival
At London.
BRITISH CHARGE
PACT VIOLATIONS
Erin Leaders Say Black
And-Tans Offend, Not.
Sim Feiners.

LONDON. Oct. s - THE .-sce In
Ireland was nearer the breaking
point tonight than at any time
since IL went into effect.
This werd came as cheering
throngs. in London, were greeting
the Sim Fein delegates 10 the peace
conference which opens Tuesday.
While immense crowds surrounded
Euston Station welcoming the Sim
Feiners, Gen. Macready was in con-
ference with Sir Hamar Greenwood.
chief secretary for ireland, COM
planning that the Republican forces
had repeatedly broken both the let
ter and the spirit OF the truce.
Strains Soldiers Patience.
Cen Macready. who Is command
ant OF the British troops in ireland.
informed Greenwood that the Irish
Republican army was putting a
severe strain on the patience of the
imperial soldiers.
The British, he said, are relir-
iously observing the truce The
are standing by while the Repub-
lican army conducts operations
which they never were able TO carry
out during the period Of open hos
tilities.
The governments position is that
the military must strictly observe
the truce, despite any provocation
whatever. until the peace confer
ence is a failure. or untn an abso-
lutely fatal breach is caused by
some action OF the Sim Feiners.
Cite Truce Violations.
Government reports from ireland
declare the conference may be in
terrupted, or even jeopardized, by
the present truce violations The
following instances are cited:
kidnapping of British officials.
Patrolling operations by Sim
Fein forces.
Communicating of unoccupied
private dwellings for republican
troop billets, despite the agreement
that neither side would attempt
under the truce acts which they
were unable to effect during hos
tilities.
The Communicating Of houses
was called = particularly fagrant
breach of the agreement. as both
sides promised to refrain from az
gressions against either government
or private parties.
Irish VIII Make CountercharGe.
Delegates to the London confer
ence, IL was learned tonight. will
introduce at the first meeting a
denial of all these charges. The,
viii deny the truce has been broken
by Sim Fein. They will assert. on
the other hand. that the Black and
Tans are rough and bitter in their
demeanor, and that they are con
unually violating the truce.
A flat denial that houses had been
Communicated will also be made.
The Irish delegation. aside from
this issue of truce breaking. has
prepared tentative agenda for the
deliberations Of the peace confer
ence. They expect that Lloyd
George. although he initiated the
parley. Will give the Irish the lead
in starting the discussion.
Charlie Chaplin's welcome to Lon.
don was outdone by the greeting
extended the Sim Fein delegates
here today
As Arthur Griffith. leader Of the
! delegation, and the others stepped
from the train, an Irish pipe band
- the platform struck up a stir
ring air.
Cheers Greet Delegates.
When the men emerged from thS
station, deafening roar 90 cheers
went up from the crowd which
packed the streets. and the vast
throngs became a sea of TOSSING
hats, waving handkerchisfs and
Irish Republic fiags.
he
quarters IN Chelsea the way was
lined by applauding men and wo-
men. There were no disturba nces,
The best feeling was in evidence
continually. The only khaki visible
was that worn by a few military
police, who were on duty TO pre-
vent stray soldiers and rambunc-
tious 1rishmen getting into diff
culties with each other.