Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1921-07-21
Shuts Efforts Bring Renewed
Hope Of Settlement Of
the Irish Trouble.
may, QUIT "REPUBl|C' IDEA
Do Valera and Others Show DlsposI.
tlon to YieId-No improvement In
Near Eastern Mess-Germany
Expects Coup d'Etat-
Tariff Fight Is On.
BY EDWARD W. PIcKARD.

BY EDWARD w. PICkARD.
The entry Of Jan Christian SHUTS
into the peace negotiations changed
the Irish situation over night. The
South African premier is regarded az
one Of the most astute statesmen In
the world, and apparently Lloyd
George has done we'll in enlisting hif
assistance. 1t now appears likely that
q peaceful settlement of the Irish
trouble will be reached before long.
Optimistic persons were not dis
mayed by De Valera's tentative refusal
to attend the meeting in London pfe
posed by Lloyd George and Sir Jamsf
Craig's refusal to confer with the Sinl
oFHlners and south Ireland unionists II
Dublin. The latter conference was
begun without representatives Of Ui-
ster. and an attempt was made 10
recenclle the positions of the GtnM
,Fein and the unionists. Then Cen
eral SHUTS slipped across to Dublin,
gave the leaders there a heart-to-heart
talk, and hurried back to London to
report to the English authorities.
What he told them gave rise to the
most cheerful Of predictions.
q Though no official statements have
been issued, 1t appears that this is
how matters now stand: The British
government is willing to grant to Ire
land the fullest autonomy, patterned
after that enjoyed by South Africa
Ulster to be considered still part Of
the dominion but having an autOnO-
nous government Of it's own, such as
(that Of Natal. president" De- Valera,
.Xrthur Griffith, founder Of Sim Fein; ;
Michael Collins and other republican
tiead,,rs are now willing that Ireland
shall 'emain part of the British en-
pire-th, ugh they prefer the term
British CT mmonwealth Of nations
provided thtir right Of secession is
recognized. Other prominent Sim
Feiners, compr tsing the 1ntellectuals
and doctrinaires, insist Prime Minister
>Lloyd George ha not yet sufficiently
recognized the e. sential unity of Ire
land and its right 20 self-determna-
.tion. All IT, Sim Feluers assert that
NUlster must accept her autonomy from
the supreme Irish parliament In Dub
lin. The task that remains Is to recon
cile these views anG bring the Ulster
ties and southern uniOlNstS into
agreement with the compromise pan,
That this can be done is the EXPIRE s. ed
opinion of some oS ,the chief figures
In the negotiations.
Says General Smuts':' II think, am
hopeful, I trust. that ,1,e. question will
be solved and that the veb! the British
Vempire will be freed fl ON The imputa-
tlon that in this ancie mt part of the
United Kingdom there sti,l exists vio-
lation Of the fundamental principles
upon which the empire res. =. l say
that the problem is soluble ! 'ecause l
have seen 1t solved in my ov n conn-
try under circumstances less ,elobit-
tered than in Ireland but certainly ,'f
very difficult character, too"
De Valera, in his first authorized
statement since Lloyd Georges jnvi-
Ntation, says: I'VE trust that the Brit
ish prime minister's letter may prove
to be the first step toward submitting
a civilized basis Of right and reason
for that Of barbaric violence in the
arbitration Of the question at issue
between Ireland and Great Britain.
"Shoud the conference now initiat-
ed lead to an ultimate understanding
and lasting peace between the peoples
Of these two islands, which have been
IN state Of war, or suspended war,
c:0r more than seven and a half zen.
turies, 1t will set worthy Christian
precedent for the entire world.
'Rritish prestige will ts. restored.
young Ireland will live In history as
having saved. by its courage snd stead.
fastness, the ideals for which millions
were led to offer their lives in the
great war;"
AS significant, perhaps, as these
>&tatements was an incident lin Liver
pool. The city vas deco'uted in
honor Of visit of the prince OF
Wales, and in the Irish quarter were
displayed many Sim Fein flags inter.
twined with the union jacks. A prom.
inent Sim Feiner said: "The order
10 do that came from Dublin"
From this side of the world it looks
as though the great powers do moi
know what to do with Turkey and the
Wurks. II they have any definite pol
icy 1t isn't apparent from either their
Etaiements or their actions. The