New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-06
Signs of Military Activ-
ity Cause Apprehension
of Fresh Outbreak of
Civil War in Ireland
Sinn Fein Program
Aims to Split North
Gravity of Situation Adj
mitted, but Resumption
Of Farley Is Urged
By Arthur S. Draper
From The Tribune's European s.sreau

Copyright 1921 New York Tribune Inc
LONDON, Sept. 5. = Although
Dublin is infinitely more interested
in the result of the Rritish Cabinet
meeting which Premier Lloyd George
has called for Wednesday at lnver-
ness, Scotland, London is awaiting
developments with no little anxiety
That the Premier will make sharp
reply to Sim Fein's rejection of his
peace terms and set definite time
limit in which the republicans must
yield, is the opinion here.
Throughout Ireland the people OF
both north and south are in Sc
rious mood, and there is no mistak-
ing the fact that they consider the
situation to-day graver than it has
been since the negotiations opened
after the truce was arranged.
A short preliminary meeting of
the British government ministers is
scheduled for tomorrow.
In Ulster as we'll as in the south
there are signs Of military activity
and the danger of a renewal of hoss
tilities is extremely great. The Sim
Feiners are working cleverly to split
the north, and the Ulster govern
ment is threatened with a revolt
which may result in much bloodshed.
The Ulstersvolunteers form power
fui organization, aud if there, should
be civil war in Ireland they would
play TO small part.
South Pleads for PIebiscite
Dispatches from Dublin assert that
the people do not yet despair of an
eventual settlement, though they re-
gard the door TO peace as almost
closed. That the south of Ireland con-
siders that the Dali Eireann is NOV
ing too close to the precipice is shown
by the fact that there is an insistent
demand for plebiscite.
While the Ulstermen declare that
"Sinn Fein's fist is brandished in the
face of Britain" as Belfast interprets
De Valers's reply, the English press
takes more moderate view, and there
is general agreement that negotiations
must continue, even though the pos
sibility of a settlement is more re-
mote than it was month ago. Tho
presence at Inverness of Sir Nevil
Macready, head of the crown forces,
and Viscount Fitz Alan, the Viceroy,
shows that Premier Llovd George ir-
tends to consider the military, as we'll
as the political situation, in Ireland.
There has been no break in the trace
In the south Of Ireland. but tho
speeches of Professor John MacNeill.
speaker of the Dali. and Michael Col,s
Inns, military leader of the Sim Fein,
have not made for better feeling be-
tween England and Ireland.
British Ministers Impatient
When Lloyd George last held a
Cabinet discussion on the Irish prob
lem. several ministers opposed his
moderation and insisted that he was
too patient. 1t is only reasonable to
expect that they viii urge the Premier
to waste no further time in negotiations
with De Valera. If the Premier agrees
to meet De Valera again it is not like
ly that the conferences will begin until
near the end of September, and as
they probably would last several weeks
the possibility of Lloyd George goine
to Washington for the disarmament
conference is exceedingly small. 1t
is known that he has no intention of
making the trip unless the Irish prob
lem is we'll on the road to settlement.
Although the majority of the English
newspapers express the hope that the
government will not lose patience over
De Nalera's passion for rhetoric, it /,
perfectly plain that even among those
organs which consistently have insisted
on revision of the Irish policy there
is feeling that the Sim Feiners are
coming perilously near wrecking tho
negotiations. Says "The Evening Stand
ard which has supported the govern
ment:
IF the truce must be ended and Ire
land must slip back into the certain
miseries and unknown perils of most
squahd civil war, the onus, in the eyes
Of the civilized world, should fail
wholly on Sim Fein. 1t would, We
think, be grave mistake TO let IN
sistence on form decide the question
between a conference and no confer
ence."
The Westminster Gazette, politi-
cally opposed to the government, warns
the Sim Feiners that among LLOYD
Georges ministers are some who are
anxious to have the negotiations break
down and who welcome "hindrances to
peace imposed by the Irishmen them
selves"
LONDON, Sept. 5 (By The Associated
Press) Nine members OF the British
Cabinet departed to-day for Inverness.
With the exception Of "The Morning
Post" which said: at is impossible
TO make terms with rattlesnake.r
London newspapers this morning made
a united plea for forbearance in hope
that common ground might yet be-
found. "The Daily Telegraph said:
Mr.. de Valera's reply, as his pre-
viors letters to Lordon, suggests the
question whether he and his colleagues
are likely 20 appear III the role of
practical and responsible admins
traitors. II has been evident thsy
WAnja h. he 1so$fSn H. xa>~lA d 4