The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-17
FULL FREEDOM,
 NOTHING LESS,
 IRISH DEMAND
DeVaIera, in Opening Irish Parliament, Declares He and Colleagues Stand for Amer.
 lcan Brand independence
By Associated Press

Dublin, August 16-Comprete ;nde- pendence for Ireland remains the fe- mand of the leaders of the Sim Fein.
 At the opening of the Irish -epub- lican Parliament today, Eamon De Valera, the republican leader, in an address to the members. declared that for Ireland he and his collea 5ies stood for ideals embodied in the American declaration ofG indep and- ence. He reiterated Ire1ands claim to separation from the British em- pire. and asserted that the cabinet of the republican Parliament was the sole government the Irish people rec- ognized.
 Referring to the peace negotiatiols with David Lloyd George, Mir. De Va lera said there were people who de- sired to negotiate to save their faces. The Sim Fein. however, would negotiate to save possible bloodshed and for right and prinei- cple. He declared that the cabinet
 in refusing the prefer of dominion form of government by Mr. Lloyd George. had taken this step because il considered his proposal unjust
 Mir. De valera's address was lis- tened to attentively by the 130 mem bers of the Dali Eireann. gathsfed from all parts of Ireland It was delivered after Professor John Nc Neill had been chosen as speaker ot the Parliament. Mir De Valera promised that at the session tomor- row he would outline the nego.ia- tions he had carried on with Mir. Lloyd George, and afterwards the Parliament might consider the situa. tion behind closed doors
 British stiii Hopeful
 Notwithstanding the attitude of ,he members of the Dail, Eireann in .ak- ing an oath of allegiance to the rslf republic, an oath which in former days would have been termed nigh treason, and De Vaiera's reiterated demand for freedom of Ireland. ,,rit@ ish civil authorities in Dublin. rsany of whom assert that they have charz nels of communications with the in. ner workings of the Sim Fein. are still hopeful of settlement of the Irish problem.
 These officials tonight based their hopes on one section Of De Nalera's speech. in which he said.
 Tn the general election which bl effect. was piebiscite i '',ni was put to t''o Form of government they wanted and how trey Wia
 so that they might have the u'rs, tunity of working out for themselves their own national life in their wn way.
 "The answer the people gave vas unmistakable do not say their answer was for form of govern nient so much. because We are not re- publican doctrinnaires, but it was for Irish freedom and Irish ndepende nee. and it was obvious to everybody who considered the question that Irish independence could not be realized at the present time in any other way so suitable as through a republic.
 Hence 1t was that an Irfsh repub lie. as such, was sanctioned by she representatives of the people fnd that you, the representatives of he people, came here in public session and declared the independence of the nation and solemnly declared your determination thar you would give your lives and everything you have in an endeavor to make that ex- pression of the people effective so that you might not merely in your own hearts obtain recognition of It, but that you might secure recogni- tContinued on Page Two)