The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-28
PEOPLE OF ENGLAND ARE ONE IN HOPING f OR IRISH PEACE.
Lloyd George Mentioned Yields Greatest Unchal- lenged Power Ever Given
 to British Executive
By GEORGE \. BARNES British Pariiarentry Leader Special Wireless Dispatch to The Age
 HeraId

Herald
 London, August 27.-(SpeciaI) = There is still a distinctly optimistic seeling here that an Irish settle meut may come out of the tangled negotiations. This feeling is he'd despite some adverse indications in Ireland. England is determined to bear and forbear. Will Irishmen now reciprocate in forgetfulness and forgiveness of an evil past?
 Ireland in that evil past, has d- vidcd our people as nothing else has done. That division has been the bane of our public life and the ruin of some of our public men. But now fellowship and companicnship with the Irish i $ met in Great Brit ain with the good will and support of all parties.
 It is true voices may be hoard among the unionist herds" They serve only to emphasize the general agreement At the moment. in re- gard 10 Ireland, there arc no polit- teal parties. Laborite, liberal and tory are for the first time, one,
 Circumstances Favorable
 It is fortunate that circumstances for the moment arc so favorable for 1t is quite certain that under no other circumstances could the pro- posals now under consideration have been received with a chance of sue cess.
 And even so nothing but a sincere wish for peace could have secured for them such a volume of support in Great Britain. They constitute the high water mark of British con- cession to Irish aspirations. They may. if adopted. prove to be such as to lead to the satisfaction of aspira- tions for all times. But in this case no British minister could go further than Lloyd George has in principal q the present time.
 Therefore it Is devoutly to be wished that a trial may be made of them and despite the present parti- ton, they may lead to future unity in Ireland The proposed participa- ton of Ireland Is not crime to be laid at the door of British politi- clans, ss some Irish critics appear 10 think, but is a hard stubborn fact which had to be recognized,
 Cause of Dissentions
 One cause of continued dissensions, happily has been removed in the set clement of an Irish railway dis agreement The Irish railways had not been included in the provisions recently adopted for railway wages board, whereupon the Irish railway men threatened strike action and there were indications of common cause being made by the Sim Feln and the trades union. Special boards for Ireland now have been set up presided over by an impartial chair man, and, providing equal representa- tion for the workmen and the com panies.
 This industrial difficulty, there fore. no ongersconstitutes a danger to the settlement of political con- troversy.
 British public opinion regards the present intransigence in Dublin as due to a misunderstanding which may be cleared up. This feeling may be but a temporary triumph of hope oyer experience, buy there Is much to justify 1t in .the present day orientation of the political parties us well as in the quality of the British offer.
 As General Shuts said in his let ter to Eamonn Devalera. the govern ment of the British is in position to deliver the goods" There still IS basis for settlement by discussion All these are facts which will not have been overlooked in the Dublin deliberations.
 Ascendency of Lloyd George
 The ascendency of Mfr. Lloyd George in our public life was strili- ingly exhibited in the last days session of Parliament just closed. His statements of policy regarding many public questions met with an almost unanimous chorus of approv- al and promise of support. This marks a new phenomenon in British public life. Never before in modern history has an executive of the Brit ish government enjoyed such solid backing. Never has a prime minis ter wielded such urchallenged power.
 This new condition of things .s due to variety of causes, chief among which is the present fluidity of political ideas. with a consequent weakness of political parties. The uniontst party is dead. The liberal party has as the moment no distinc- tive message to the world. More over, the country is tired of the crit ical factions who have contributed so little to the postwar settlements. Finally, the personality and re- sourcefulness of the prime minister have contributed in no small degree to the changed conditions Those changes are all the more significant and satisfactory in view of the fact that they have become more pro- nA Ir,p hn tek