Omaha daily bee., 1921-09-05
Irish Turn
DownPeace.
Proposals.
Reply Of Cabinet to Premier
Lloyd George Holds Terms
Not Bound on Do
minion Status.
Way Is. Still Left Open

tsy The Associated rress.I
London, Sept. 4.-The Irish repub
liean parliament's reply to Premier
Lloyd Georges latest communication
rejects the British governments pro
posals for settlement OF the Iris!
question. on the ground that they ar,
not based on q dominion status TO,
Ireland. It leaves the way open fol
further negotiation, however, by Of
fering At once to appoint plenipoten'
tiaries on the basis Of the principle oi
government by consent Of the gov.
erned.
London, Sept. 4.--The Dali
Eireann's reply TO the British pre-
mier signed by Eamon de Valera
made public in London and Dublin
today. had been preceded III the
British and Irish press by apparently
inspired statements that Il would
) create grave situation.
Perusual OF the reply, however, al
lords little reason to fear the imme-
diate breakdown OF the negotiations
unless the cabinet council meeting
Wednesday should decide to impose
a time limit within which Ireland
must accept or reject the govern
ment proposals.
The reply shows Mr.. De Valera
and the Dali Eireann have not re-
ccded from their former position. 1t
emphasizes that the British govern
ment's proposals are not AN invita-
ton to enter into free and willing
partnership with the nations of the
British commonwealth, but that the
conditions Mr.. Lloyd George seeks
to impose would divide ireland into
two artificial and mutually destruc-
tive states. 1t insists plenipoten-
iiaries must enter conference TN
,ramelled by conditions, I.ut with
that proviso, and says that the Dali
'Eircann is ready to appoint plenipo-
tentiaries.
Ulster Grave Feature. L
Except that Mr.. DeValera seems
tc ingnore the prenier's warning Of
danger in delay, the position is much
tire same as in the last exchange of
letters and almost certainly there
will be a further exchange before
real crisis arises.
The most threatening feature still
remains the refusal of Ulster to
yield, in which il is recognized there
is real danger, <
The reply follows:
!. I've, too, are convinced it is es-
sential that some definite and i'm
mediate progress should be made
toward a basis on which further ne
gotiations can usefully proceed, and
recognize the futility OF "a mere en-
change Of argumentativc notes. l
shall refrain from commenting on
in your last communication. The
present Is the reality with which we
have to deal.
Conditions of today are the re-
sultant Of the past. Accurately sum-
ming up and giving in simplest form
the essential data of the problem,
these data are:
"Thc people OF ireland, acknowl-
edging no voluntary union with
with Great Britai ifand claiming as
their fundamental and natural righ;
to choose freely for themselves, the
path they shalt take to realize their
national destiny, have by an over
whelmirg majority, declared for in
dependence and to set up repub-
lie, and more than. once have, con-
firnled their choice.
Circumstances Notorious.
Great Britain acts as though Ire
land were bound to her by 4 contract
oi union that for separation.
THE circumstances OF the sup
posed contract are notorious. Yet,
on the theory of its validity, the
British government and parliament
claims to rule and legislate for Ire
land, even to the point Of Partition
ing Irish territory against the will
OF the Irish people and killing or
casting into prison, every Irish citi-
zen who refuses allegiance. The
proposals your government sub
emitted July 20, are; base dfund-
amently on the latter premises. We
rejected the proposals and our re-
lection is irrevocable. They are not
an invitation to Ireland to enter into
a free and willing partnership with
the free nations of the British COM
monwealth. They are an invitation
to Ireland to enter in the guise OF,
and under conditions which deter
mine a status definitely inferior to
that of these free states.
Canada, Australia, South Africa
and New Zealand are guaranteed
against domination of the major
state. not only by acknowledged
constitutional rights, which give
them equality OF status with Great
Britain and freedom from the con-
troll of the British parliament, but
by the thousands of miles which
separate them from Great Britain.
Would Divide Ireland.
''Ireland would have guarantees
neither of distance nor of right. The
conditions sought to be imposed
would divide i into two artificial
states, each destructive of the others
influence in any common council and
both subject to military, naval and
economic control by tn. British
government.
THE main historical and geo.
graphical 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
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