The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-12-04
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1921.
SITUATION IN IRELAND

THE big questions at issue between the British
government and the representatives OF the irish
Republican parliament have been:
Shall Ireland become entirely Independent or
IL it remain within the British Empire. shall there he
two separate governments in Ireland, one Tor ulster
and one for the rest OF the country?
Prime Minister Lloyd George has refused TO con
slider 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 parliament with
the Sim Feiners. 1t has organized a parliament oil
its own under 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 %independ-
emily as the governing body OF the Irish Republic.
That was the situation when the truce began last
Tuly, after King George had made a conci!iatory
speech at the opening OF the new parliament in
Ulster.
The purpose OF the negotiations now in progress,
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 ais the British Empire may be best reconclIeo
with Irish national aspirations"
The conferences began in July. Both sides nave
at times entertained higher hopes of a final and
satisfactory settlement probably than at any tlme
since the Irish question became a thorn in the SIDE
Of the British Empire, but there have been several
crises 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 dominions. The Dali
Eireann utterly rejected this proposal on the ground
that il did not afford even genuine dominion rule.
For a time it seemed that 4 deadlock had been
reached.
Lloyd George cndeavored to resume negotiations
but this move seemed likely to be baked by de Val
era's insistence that the Irish delegates to such a
conference must be accepted As having derived their
authority from a free and independent Ireland. The
British Premier refused 10 concedc that point as. he
said, it would constitute a recognition at the very
outset OF lrelands claims for separation from the
British Empire.
This obstacle was overcome by the two parties
agreeing upon Lloyd Georges formula that the
purpose OF the conference should be to ascertain
how Irelands association with the empire might be
best reconciled with lre'and's national aspirations.
Under that formula, meetings have been in pro-
gress since early October. The proceedings have
been secret. 1t has been reported, however, that
British representatives submitted a plan to give Ire
land a status OF association with the empire and
to allow her an almost complete measure OF self
government 10 be exercised by separate parliament,
in Ulster and South Ireland, respectively, and by a
Central Council jointly chosen.
This brough; Ulster again into the negotiations
and compelled Premier Lloyd George to defer his
trip to the Washington Conference on Limitation OF
Armament so that he could devote his time 20 an
effort TO overcome listers hesitation or objection
10 cooperate with the South OF Ireland in any form
of common government.
The general understanding was that the Sim
Fem delegates insisted that there must be no parti-
ton Of Ireland into the North and South with differ
ent forms OF government and different relations TO
the empire.
To reconcile these conflicting view points, Lloyd
George invited Sir James Craig, the Ulster Premier,
10 come to London in the first week in November
to talk things over. The situation was so deli
cate that Sir James desired the support and advice
OF other Ulster leaders and finally all the members
OF the Ulster cabine; were called TO London. I'm.
ionist opinion in England has been steadfastly
against any coercion Of Ulster" 1t was generally
conceded that one OF the most difficult stages OF
the negotiations had been reached.
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