Evening star., 1921-12-14
LLOYD GEORGE-CRAIG
LETTERS INTENSITY
ULSTER FEELING
Continued from Ninth Page,

the withdrawal of the proposal for an
al-lreland parliament
''The government of northern Ire
land Is fully alive to the difficulties
referred to in your communication.
or best way, Of surmounting these
difficulties under the existing circum-
stances Is by comforting jurisdiction
over reserved subjects upon a com
mon authority.
Suggests Another Course.
His majesty's ministers assume
that the only alternative to such ar
rangement Is that, while the status of
Ireland, northern Ireland would re-
main part of the United Kingdom,
with the essential corrollary Of rep
ment. and certain financial and other
disadvantages which northern Ireland
as compared with southern Ireland
would suffer under such arrangement
are pointed out
There is another alternative which
his majesty's ministers do not appear
to have considered. 1t is that reserved
powers. instead Of being intrusted to
a common authority, should be con-
ferred on the governments of south
ern and northern Ireland within the
areas Of their respective jurisdictions.
The principle underlying the act Of
1920 was equality of status and pow
land. and this principle should, in the
opinion of the government of north
ern Ireland. be observed in the trans
fer of reserved services.
ut is true that it might involve
northern Ireland, losing her repre-
i~I nJs
but while northern Ireland would de-
plore any loosening of the tie between
Great Britain and herself, she would
regard the loss of representation at
Westminster as a less evil than In
clusion in an all-Ireland parliament.
1T is realized that If the alternative
here suggested were adopted the con-
tributfon of northern Ireland, as also
southern Ireland, to the cost of i'm
perial services would be voluntary, as
in the case of the overseas dominions.
The proved loyalty of northern Ire
land to the British empire is sufficient
guarantee that she would not evade
this obligation.
"It will be seen therefore that the
government Of northern Ireland are
prepared to accept three out OF the
four proposals put forward by his
majesty's government.
'In conclusion, the government OF
their Arm conviction that the time has
not yet arrived when the cause. of
peace in Ireland, which they fer
vently desire to further by all means
in their power. can be promoted oy
establishing an all-Ireland parlia-
ment.
Reply by Lloyd George.
Premier Lloyd George wrote on No
vember IA:
1--WE have received with great re-
gret your refusal to enter confer
ence Internationally. To demand as
between two sets Of ministers OF the
crown preliminary limitation on free
dom of discussion is contrary to the
spirit of mutual loyalty and co-opera-
tion which animates his majesty's gov
eynments in all parts Of the empire.
I'VE regret it the more because your
counter proposal that southern and
northern Ireland should be constituted
into two separate dominions Is In
our judgment indefensible. We are
ground of broad imperial principle.
To create two dominions in Ireland,
one of twenty-six and one of six coun-
ties, would fundamentally change the
existing system Of imperial organiza-
ITO demand the same national and in
ternational status for six Irish counties
separately is a proposal we could not
reconcile with the empires internal and
foreign interests.
your proposal would in our opinion
be equally injurious from a domestic
standpoint to the British Isles, botl
financially and commercially. The erec-
ton Of two systems Of national govern
ment in these islands is sufficiently beset
with difficulties
THE considerations which have out
lined make a free interchange Of ideas
between US essential, and We sincerely
trust that you will not persist in max
ing preliminary conditions upon matters