The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1921-07-14
Smuts' Efforts Bring Renewed
Hope Of Settlement Of
the Irish Trouble.
MAY QUIT "REpUBLlC" IDEA
pe Valera and 0thers Show Disposi-
alon to YIeld--No Improvement in
Near Eastern Mess-Germany
Expects Coup d'Etat--
Tariff Fight ls on.
BY HOWARD W. PLckARp.

The entry Of Jan Christian SHUTS
aOtn the peace negotiations changed
the Irish situation over night The
South AfricaR premier is regarded as
one Of the ssaost astute statesmen In
the world, aed apparently Lloyd
George has done well In enlisting his
assistance III Rew appears likely that
n 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 pro
wosed by Lloyd George and Sir James
"Sraig's refusal to confer with the Sim
Feiners and south Ireland unlonists In
Dublin. The latter conference was
begun without representatives OF I'll
zfer, and an attempt was made to
reconcile the positions of the Sim
Fem and the unionists. Then Gen
aerai SHUTS slipped across to Dublin,
gave the leaders there q heart-to-heart
talk, aHd hurried back to London to
report to the English authorities.
What he told them gave rise to the
most cheerful of predictions.
Though no official statements have
been issued, It appears that this is
fs0w 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 he considered still part of
she dominion but having an autono-
1nous government of its own, such as
shat of Natal, president" De Valera,
Arthur Griffith. founder Of Sim Fem;
Michael Collins and other republican
leaders are now willing that Ireland
shall remain part of the British EN-
IDire-though they prefer the term
British commonwealth of nations
provided their right of secession is
recognized. Other prominent Sim
Felners. comprising the intellectuals
and doctrlnalres, insist Prime Minister
Floyd George has not yet sufficiently
recognized the essential unity of Ire
sand and Its right to self-determina-
tiOn. All the Sim Feiners assert that
Ulster must accept her autonomy from
the supreme Irish parliament In Dub
I'm. The task that remains is to recon
.clle these Views and bring the Ulster
ties and southern unioniStS into
agreement with the compromise plan.
That this can be done is the expressed
opinion of some of the chief figures
an the negotiations.
Says General Shuts: 81 think, | am
hopeful, trust, that the question will
he solved and that thereby the British
empire will be freed from the imputa-
ton that in this ancient part of the
United Kingdom there still exists vio-
cation of the fundamental principles
upon which the empire rests. | say
that the problem is soluble because |
ftave seen it solved I'm my own coun-
Try under circumstances less embit-
tered Than in Ireland but certainly of
q very difficult character, too"
he Valera in his first authorized
statement since Lloyd Georges invi-
tation, says: 1--WE trust that the Brit
iSh prime minister's letter may prove
10 ne the first step toward submitting
a civilized basis of right and reason
for that of barharic violence In the
arbitration of the question at issue
between ireland and Great Britain.
''Sheuld the conference now intiat-
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,
for more than seven and a half cen
turieS, II will set a worthy Christian
psecedent for the entire world
"Bnitish prestige will be restored,
yonng Ireland will live in history as
having saved by Its courage and stead
faStneSs the Ideals for which millions
were led to offer their lives in the
great war"
AS significant, perhaps, as these
>SIaIesnents was an incident In Liver
gsasoL The city was decorated in
Aonor of visit of the prince Of
Males, and i'm the Irish quarter were
displayed many Sim Feln flags inter
fwlned with the union jacks. prom
iDent Sim Feiner said THE order
30 do that came from Dublin"