The Washington herald., 1921-08-02
LONDON TENSE
INTERPRETATION
OF IRISH PEACE
Sees Ulster Heads Pend
ing Visit as Highly
Significant.
BELIEVED HE MAY
MEET DE VALERA
Big Developments Felt
Coming Beneath Veil
Of Secrecy.
Especial cabie. to Ths wsshSstcn HeraM
and Chicago Tribu,e,)

(spseial cssis, to The wsshisstcn HeraM
ind Chicago Tribuss.)
LONDON. Aug. 1.-whiie official
statements still are lacking on both
sides Of the Irish controversy. the
atmosphere OF Downing Street to-
day is charged with belief that an
important development in the peace
negotiations is impending.
In all quarters optimism is at
high pitch and few informed per-
sons 90 found who do not express
confidence that a settlement IL In
the making and ireland will accept
the liberal terms of dominion status
within the empire which, is said
to be the germ OF Great Britain's
offer TO the Sim Fein.
BAD Ramers Qusshed. .".
For . time today Il seemed that
the decision OF Eamonn de vaiera
and his colleagues upon Lloyd
Georges proposals. was about to
break. This was when word came
from Dublin that Mr.. De Valera
expected to return to London next
Thursday.
On the heels OF this announce
ment. however. came q dispatch
from the Irish capital which quoted
Mr.. De Valera As saying that he
had no intention Of coming TO Eng
land this week and that no arrange
ments for . second visit at Down.
ing Street had been made
Another Of today's. fiurries came
been summoned to meet in Dublin
Thursday. Again the Irish capital
upset the report by declaring thai
neither the Republican cabinet nor
Dali Eireann contemplated . session
this week.
Although the British governmen nj
continues silent except to announce
that. the answer Of -ths Binn Eein
70 TIE premier,s speace plan has not
|been ntS6eIved, mere Is no doubt In
the minds Of persons close to cabi-
net members that communications
have pAsseds upon the vital subject
between Downing Street and the
Mansion ouse in Dublin.
0ptimisn Is High.
England and Ineland are said to
have felt each others pulse and the
fact that both sides express high
optimism Is taken as a harbinger
that the Irish truce which Is OBJ
served strictly on both sides, viii
be crowned by q lasting peace.
Ulster remains noncommittal. All
news from Dublin and London on
the progress Of negotiations Is stud
led carefully In Belfast. however.
and two reports from that city today
strengthened the belief that some
thing big Is in the air.
One was the statement that Sir
James Craig. the Ulster premier.
nesday. presumably to confer at
Downing Street
The other was a dispatch from
the Chicago Tribune's Belfast cor
declaring that official Ul-
ster expected important develop
ments In the Irish situation soon
but not In Ulster"
The visit of Premier Craig to
London, the first since he withdrew
with his colleagues from the pre-
liminary conference at Downing
Street, may be charged with high
potentialities.
All Kept Secret.
n 10 pointed out that while Craig
refused De valera's recent invita-
tion to confer over internal Irish
affairs either in Dublin or Belfast
he has not refused to meet the Re-
publican leader in London. Tho
prospect that arrangements for such
a conference may be made soon sf-
ter Sir James arrival In London
Is advanced as highly probable, In
some quarters
No inkling Is given regarding the
nature of the important develop
ments" expected soon by Ulster. but
the added phrase. but not In Ul-
ster." is interpreted as indication
that the Belfast government expects
South Ireland to accept Lloyd
Georges offer as Q basis for q fnal
peace conference.