The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-08-29
DALI TURNS DOWN
BRITISH PEACE
IRELAND UNANIMOUS IN RE-
FUSING TERMS OFFERED, BUT
is WILLING TO NEGOTIATE ON
PRINCIPLE OF GOVERNMENT
BY CONSENT. ....... -

London, Aug. e7.-The British
governments peace proposals were
laid before the Dali Eireann, which
rejected them unanimously, but is
willing to negotiate on principle Of
government by consent Of the govs
erner, Eamonn de Valera says in his
reply to Mr.. Lloyd George, the Brit
ish prime minister. .....,..
The letter proposed that Great
Britain and Irelan' appoint represen-
tatives' with plenary powers to ne
gotiate details on this principle. F..
"We have not sought war nor do
we seek war, but if. war'be made up
on us we must defend ourselves and
we shall do so," says Mr.. De Valera's
letter. "We long to end the conflict
between Great Britain and iceland" !"
he adds. .eL~,,
The letter of Mr.. De Valera, which
bears the date of August "a, reads:
"The anticipatory judgment I
gave in my reply of August 10 has
been confirmed. laid the propos-
ais of your government before the
Dali Efreann and by unanimous
vote it has rejected them.
From your letter of August IS, it
was clear that the principle we are
asked to accept was that the geo
graphic propinquity' Of Ireland to
Great Britain imposed the condition
Of the subordination of Ireland's
right to Great Britain's strategic in
,terests as she conceived them, and
that the very length and persistence
Of the efforts made in the past to
compel Ireland's acquiescence in a
foreign domination imposed the con-
dition of acceptance of that domina-
tion now"
eve cannot believe that your gov
ernment intended to commit iteslf to
the principle of sheer militarism, de-
structive Of international morality
and fatal to the worlds peace. If
small nations right to independence
is forfeited when a more powerful
neighbor covets its territory for
military or other advantages it is
supposed to confer there is an end to
liberty. No longer can any small
nation claim the right to a separate
existence. Holland and Denmark
can be made subservient to Germany
Belgium to Germany or to France,
Portugal to Spain.
''If nations that havs been forci-
bly, annexed to an empire lose there
by their title to independence there
can be for them no redress to free
iom.
"If our refusal to betray our ma
tion's honor and the trust that has
been reposed in us is to be made an
issue of war by Great Britain we de-
plore, it. We are as conscious of our
responsibilities to the living as we
are mindful of principles or of our
obligations to the heroic dead. i
eve have not sought war nor do
we seek war, but if war be made up
on US we must defend ourselves, and
shall do so, confident that whether
our defense be successful or unsuc-
cessful no body of responsible Irish
men or Irish women will ever pro-
pose to the nation the surrender of
It's blrthrlght.
"We long to end the conflict be-
tween Great Britain and Ireland. If
your government be determined to
impose it's will upon US by force, and
antecedent to negotiations, to insist
upon conditions that involve a sur
render of our whole national posi-
tion and make negotiation a mock
cry, the responsibility for the con-
sinuance of the conflict rests upon
you."
"On the basis of the broad guiding