New Britain herald., 1921-08-15
IRISH QUESTION
 REACHES CRISIS
(Continued from First Page).

The Morning Post, taking the view that the negotiations with Ireland had reached most critical stage, de- ounced the government for having deliberately placed this country in the position of a defeated nation by suing for terms
 MT. De Valera and his fellows" the newspaper added, not unnatur- ally decided they would have only to ask for more to get it. The liberal and labor parties and the greater proportion of the British press have given them every encouragement to believe they would succeed
 All of Ireland's best friends said the Manchester Guardian, and all who regard with passionate shame the wrongs she has suffered will hope ad pray she will not now close the door of peace.'
 The Yorkshire Post declared the government had already gone far in even undertaking negotiations under existing conditions adding that whatever the consequences may be it will not and cannot gc further The Scotsman of Edinburgh said: Peace is now in utmost jeopardy, and if the Sim Fein has spoken its last word, the revu1sion of temper in this country will be instant and over whelming."
 The Glasgow Herald said the gov ernment had made an offer of ''un- paralleled liberality and magnanimi | ty," adding that the continuance of negotiations was not precluded, be cause the Sim Fein has to reckon with the reason of Ireland and the Y,t nf world Attitude in Ulster
 The attitude of the Ulster govern ment VI hs made plain by the making public at Belfast of a letter to MT Lloyd George from Sir James Craig. the Ulster premier. Sir James express ed the loyalty of his government to ! the empire and reiterated his readi- ness to confer with MT. Lloyd George and the Sim Fein as to some means of settling the Irish controversy, but declared he would not support the Sim Fein in what he described was "a move to coerce the government to l repudiate the Irish act,'' and to | press for wider powers" Sir James said he would not interfere in any negotiations between the British gov ernment and the Irish republicans but would stand ready to cooperate on equal terms with southern Ireland in [carrying out any agreement they lreached
 Most of London's newspapers, in their comment on the new develop ments in the Irish situation this morn
 ing reflected the belief that the goT- lernment's proposals offered a gener-
 ous settlement of the controversy. | Newspaper Opinions
 "They show great statesmanship, Icourage and decision on the part of lthe government said the London ITimes. Broadly these concessions re- present the extreme limit to which
 this or any British government is likely to go. MT. De Valera's reply lapproaches more closely to the one desirable in such negotiations than any of his past utterances. It is a reasoned refusal, which appears delib-
 erately to avoid any final rupture. The
 premier's reply is the only possible
 rejoinder, and we hope the Irish peo-
 pie will give deep consideration to the
 statesman-1ike advice of Gen. Shuts, Ipremier of the Union of South Africa,
 whose letter to MT. De Valera made
 public on Saturday, urged acceptance of the governments offer."
 | The Daily News found ground both
 for hope and for fear in the cores lpondence, but declined to believe Ire Hand "woud throw the substance in grasping at a shadow"
 ''The governments proposals" the newspaper continued fare as wide and
 as generous as the most optimistic
 had desired. Clearly. apart from the Iquestion of formal severance from the empire. there is no insurmountab b1e
 difference regarding the relations to be established between the two coun- i tries. It is hoped, therefore that Ire land will act upon the sage advice of Gen. Smuts''
 View of Dublin Press.
 Dublin, Aug. 15.-In discussing the