Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-18
BRITISH Confident
/ IRISH WILL YIELD
Cannot Believe Liberal Peace
Offer Will Be Flatly
Rejected
LONDON PRESS IMPATIENT
by the Associated Press

London, Aug. 1S.-Optimsm on the
Irish situation is still being expressed
today in British official circles. This
attitude is considered justifinbe in the
lack of definite rejection of the Gov
ernment's terms by the Dali Eireann,
although reports from Dublin furnish
scant basis for optimism.
Eamon de Valera, it was stated. has
not yet convinced the British of the
sincerity of his uncompromising state
ments of the last two days. the off
cials being reluctant to believe an offer
which to them appeared so generous
would be rejected outright.
The opinion obtains in official quar-
ters that the Irish leaders are still
PLAYING for time and increased prestige
at home and abroad as the result of the
formal opening of the Dali EiTeann and
its businesslike conduct Of affairs. and
TO this there is no objection from Lon
don IL it proves to mean the continuance
of the negotiations.
As to the truce being broken and the
warfare Of month ago resumed, Off
cials stated that i'm tha view there was
not chance Of such a thing occurring.
WATCHING Events In Dublin
Members of the British Cabinet and
leaders on both Houses of Parliament
are keeping in close touch with develop
ments in Dublin. Premier Lloyd George
conferred with his Ministers for nearly
two hours yesterday, and it was un-
derstood that the Irish situation was
the principal subject discussed.
The present session OF the British
Parliament is to end tomorrow. and it
seems probable that in that brief in
terval no decisive step can be taken
rIi Irnl ii In NM hf,Nt
ever. it is believed the Kings speech in
proroguing Parliament will be largely
concerned with Irish affairs.
A majority of the London news
papers today retain their hope that the
Irish crisis will end in acceptance of
: the British terms, possibly through n
plebiscite in Southern Ireland.
There are some signs of impatiencc
with what is termed the irrcCOnCi!able
attitude of the Sim Fcn leaders in
this mornings comment.
ModeTates Afraid to Speak
In addition to the Times. which re-
marks that the world will find it diff
cult to understand their language, the
Daily Telegraph says:
'"The extremist speaks through De
yalera's lips and evidently controls the
developed terrorist organization which
makes the Moderates afraid to speak
Is the generous British offer to be with
held from the people of Ireland by the
action of the extremists and irrecOnCil-
ables?"
''Alr. de Nalera'S utteranCeS, say
the Daily Chronicle. cannot help n
settlement and may create n grave him
drance to 1t. OF course the language
of the leaders may be part of a tactical
scheme, but if they go on declaiming,
never, never heroics, the danger is
that they may tie themselves in knots
which cannot afterward be united"
The Daily Mail compares the speeches
Of Mr.. de Valera to the prelude to q
pay. 1t says that while they form the
part of recognized whole they do not
preclude the possibility of n happy end
ing in the last act.
Would Recall Offer
The Morning Post. the solitary OPP
ponent of the Government proposed
settlement among the London newspa-
pers. says the only right course Is 20
withdraw the offer. retire upon the basis
of the home rule act and enforce Obedi-
ence to the law.
The contingency Of complete col
lapse in the negotiations is hardly yet
considered by the newspapers. but the
Sketch today prints a report that should
breakdown occur the Government
will not terminate the truce and. in the
event of acts of violence by the Sim
Fein, would ask the Sim Fein to au-
thoriZc it to suppress them.
This newspaper adds that II military
action should become necessary It will
be on a hitherto unprecedented scale
and accompanied by strict naval
blockade. Before then. however the
Sketch declares, there will be gen.
cral election, probably on the question
of maintaining the whole of Ireland in
the British Empire.
The Sketch concludes by saying that
notwithstanding DE Nalera's refusal Of
the terms of the Government they will
not be withdrawn, but will be accepted
as the basis for the whole of the Gov
ernment's policy in Ireland.