Evening star., 1921-09-05
'SINN FEiN ANSWER
BRINGS new CRISIS
IN PEACE PARLE\
CONTINUED from First Page.)

menting on the fallacious historical
references in your last >communica-
ton. The present is the reality with
which we have to deal.
"The conditions of today are the
resultant of the past Accurately
summing up and giving in simplest
form the essential data of the prob
lem. these data are:
First: The people of Ireland. ac-
knowledging no voluntary union with
Great Britain and claiming as their
fundamental and natural right to
choose freely for themselves the path
they shall take to realize their ma
tional destiny, have. by an over
whelming majority, declared for in
dependence and to set up a republic.
and more than once have confirmed
their choice.
Proposals Arc Rejected
Second: Great Britain, on the
other hand. acts as though Ireland
were bound to her by a contract of
union that forbids separation.
"The circumstances of the sup
posed contract are notorious. Yet. on
the theory of its validity. the British
government and parliament claimed
to rule and legislate for Ireland, even
to the point of partitioning Irish ter
ritory against the will of the Irish
people and killing or casting into
prison every Irish citizen who refuses
allegiance.
The proposals your government
mitted in the draft of July 20 are
based fundamentally on the latter
premises. We rejected these pro-
posals and our rejection is irrevocable.
They are not an Invitation to Ireland
n fro
nership with the free nations of :he
British commonwealth. They are an
invitation to Ireland to enter in the
guise OF and under conditions which
determine status definitely inferior
to that Of these free states.
Subject to British Control.
Canada. Australia, South Africa
and New Zealand all are guaranteed
against domination of the major state
not only by acknowledged cons;itu-
tional rights which give them equality
OF status with Great Britain and abso-
lutte freedom from the oontro!
of the British parliament, put
arate them from Great Britain. Ire
land would have guarantees neither OF
distance nor of right. The conditions
sought to be imposed would divide ilcr
into two artificial states. each de-
structive Of the others influence in
to military, naval and economic con-
troll by the British government.
1.-The main historical and geogr2ph-
ical facts are not in dispute, but your
government insists on viewing them
from your standpoint and we must be
allowed to view them from ours. The
history you interpret as debating
union we read as debating separation.
Our Interpretation Of the fact OF geo.
graphical propinquity' is no less dia-
metrically opposed. We are convinced
that ours Is the true and just inter
a neutral and impartial arbitrator
should be the Judge. You refuse and
threaten to give effect to your Wow
by force. Our reply must be that IL
YOU adopt that course we can only re-
sist as generations before us have re-
sisted. Forcc will not solve the prob
lem and it will never secure the uit'-
mate victory over reason and right.
Force Must lie ELIMINATED.
"If you again resort TO force. and
~ victory be not on the side OF
iustice, the problem that ccnfrousE
us will confront our successors. The
fact that for $50 years tie problem
has resisted solution by force Is evil
,iencc and warning sufficient. Il Is
rue wisdom, therefore, and t.uo
Craftsmanship, rot any false idealisn.
that prompts me and my colleagues.
Threats Of force must be set aside.
They must be set aside from tha he
ginning as well az during actual
conduct of the negotiations.
.aThc respective rlcnipotcntiaries
must meet untranmolcd by any con-
ditions save the facts themselves. and
must be prepared to reconcile sub
seuuent differences, not by appeals
to force, covert or open. but by ref
erencc to some guiding principle on
fo
We have proposed the principle Of
goverhment by consent of the gov
erned and do not mean 1t as a mere
phrase.
"On this basis. and this only, we
see hope of reconcil:ng tho copsid-
eretlcps which must govern tire s,tti-
tude' Of Great B:ltain's representa-
tives with tire considerations tEaG
must govern tho attitude Of Ireiand's
TepeesentaftveA ,an6-oD this basda We