Norwich bulletin., 1921-08-15

 ments which will prove destructive of Irish ideals and be fruitful of ruinous wars and crushing taxation, MT. De Valera says:
 Like the small state of Europe, the Irish people are prep-: to hazard their independence on the basis of moral right, confident that as they would threaten their independence on the bas- is of moral right. confident that as they would threaten no nation or people they would. in turn. be free from ag- gression themselves"
 Asserting that this is the policy that Irishmen have declared for in plebisqte after plebiscite, MT. De Valera con- tinues:
 "As for myself and my colleagues. our 1 deep conviction is that true friendship with England, which military coercion | has frustrated for centuries, can be ob- 1 tained most readily now through amic- able but absolute separation. The fear which we believe groundless, that Irish | territory may be used as the basis for 1 attacks upon England's liberties can 1 be met by reasonable guarantees not in- consistent with Irish sovereignty" Dominion Status Illusion 1 MT. De Valera declares that a domin- | ion status for Ireland Is illusory He | says the freedom the British dominions enjoy is less the result of legal enact ments or treaties than of the immense distances which separate them from Great Britain and make interference by Great Britain impracticable
 'The most explicit guarantee includ- ing the dominion's acknowledged right i to secede," MT De Valera continues, l would be necessary to secure for Ire land an equal degree of freedom. There Is no suggestion, however, in the pro- posals made of any such guarantee"
 Fms cad the natural position is re- versed Our geographical situation with respect to Great ritain is made the bas- is of denials and restrictions unheard of in the case of dominions. The small CT island must give military safeguards and guarantees to the larger and suffer itself to be reduced to a position of help less deDendel>cy.
 obviously we are unable to urge &C., ceptance of such proposals upon our our people A certain treaty of free as- sociation with the British common wealth group, as win a partial league tc nations, we would have been ready to recommend. andr as a government, tc negotiate and take responsibility for. had we an assurance that the entry of the nation, asa whole into such an as sociation would secure for it the al legiance of the present dissenting mi nority To meet those sentiment alone this step could be contemplated.(
 Mutual Limitation of Armements.
 Treaties dealing with proposals fo1 free intertrade and mutual limitation O
 ornaments we are ready at any time tc negotiate. Also mutual agreements con corning air, railway and other com indications. and general for the smootl commercial intercourse essential to botl nations But all such treaties anc agreements we would require submit ted for ratification. first to the nationa
 legislature and afterwards to the irisl people. in a manner showing that thei decision was a free decision and withou any element of military compulsion.'
 Mir. De Valera offers to leave tn , question of Ireland's share of the na tional debt to arbitrators, one each t be appointed by Ireland and Grea Britain and the third. chosen by agree
 nent "or nominated. say. by the presi dent of the United States" He declare . that the question between the politica minority and the great majority of tn Irish people must be left for the Iris people themselves to settle
 ''We cannot admit the right of tn | | country, either in it's own interest or a the call of any section of our popula } tion," the letter continues.
 Do Not Contemplate Force
 "we do not contemplate the employ
 ment of force If your governmen
 stands aside we can effect complete re
 conciliatfsh. We agree with you tha
 no common action can be secured b ! fA-- Al true principle which your governmen
 prescribes to us for the settlement o
 our local problems it seems unwilling E apply consistently to the fundamenta i, problem of the relations between ou
 island and yours
 'The principle we rely on in one cas
 We are ready to apply in the other; bu : should this principle not yield to i'm l mediate settlement we are willing tha t this question, too, should be submitte e to external arbitration.
 ''Thus we are ready to meet you in a
 that Is reasonable and just. The re 2 sponsibility for initiating and effectin e an honorable peace rests primarily nc g with our government but with yours l We have no conditions to impose, n . clans to advance. but the one that W T be free from aggression.
 'We reciprocate with a sincerity = be mea sured only by the terrible suffel
 ings our people have undergone the dt sire you express for mutual and last
 ing friendship. The sole cause of tt
 ancient feuds you deplore has been 2 - history proves, the attacks of the Ems e fish rulers upon Irish liberties. Thes
 attacks can cease forthwith if your gov - ernment has the will.
 t ''The road to peace and understanr . ing lies open"
 '- Lloyd Georges Reply Mir. Lloyd Georges reply, which va y dated August 13, was as follows e The earlier part of your letter l so much opposed to our fundament;
 position that we feel bound to lea1 ls you in no doubt of your meaning. Yo T state that after <ing your co O leagues you confirm your deolaratio n that our proposals are such as the Da 1T Eireann could not and the Irish peop l. would not accept. You add that u
 outline given by our draft is self-co1 's tradictory and that the principle of tf e pact offered you is not easy to detel mine. We desire, therefore to mal 70 our position absolutely clear.
 Q 'In our opinion nothing Is to
 gained by prolongfng tho theoretic; f discussion of the national status whic 'r you may be willing to accept as con E. pared with that of the great self-go' n erning dominions of the British con > monwealtlA bus we must direct vol "a attention to one point on which you ls e some emphasis, and on which no Britii n tcontinusd on Page Five, Col. Six