The Maui news. [volume] (Wailuku, Maui, H.I.) 1900-current, 1921-12-06
Joyous Morning Surprise

parliament in Ulster.
Months of Conference
The purpose of the negotiations now
in progress, as defined by Lloyd
George and accepted by the Sim Fein
representatives, is "to ascertain how
the association of Ireland with the
community of nations known as the
British Empire may be best reconciled
with Irish national aspirations"
The conferences began in July. Both
sides have at times entertained higher
hopes of final and satisfactory settle
ment probably than at any time since
the Irish question became thorn in
the side of the British Empire, but
there have been several crises when
the negotiations seemed doomed to
failure.
The first of these occurred when
Lloyd George offered to de Valera at
consultation in London a form of self
government in Ireland something like
that prevailing in the British domin-
ions The Dali Eireann utterly reject
ed this proposal on the ground that it
did not afford even genuine dominion
rule For a time it seemed that
deadlock had been reached.
Lloyd George endeavored to re-
sumo negotiations but this move
seemed likely to be baked by de Va
leras insistence that the Irish dele
gates to such conference must be ac-
cepted as having derived their au-
thority from a free and Independent
Ireland. The British Premier refused
to concede that point as, eh said, it
would constitute recognition at the
very outset of Ireland's claims for
separation from the British Empire.
|. This obstacle was overcome by the
two parties agreeing upon Lloyd's
Georges formula that the purpose of
the conference should be to ascertain
how Irelands association with the en-
pre might be best reconciled with
Ireland's national aspirations.
Under that formula, meetings have
been in progress since early October.
The proceedings have been secret. 1t
has been reported, however, that
British representatives submitted
plan to give Ireland status of "as-
sociation" with the empire and to al
low hepran almost complete measure
of self-government to be exercised by
separate parliaments in Ulster and
South Ireland respectively, and by a
Central Council jointly chosen.
Ulster Again Enters
This brought Ulster again into the
negotiations and compelled Premier
Lloyd George to defer his trip to the
Washington Conference ON Limita-
tiOn of Armament so that he could
devote his time TO an effort to over
come listers hesitation or objection
to cooperate with the South of Ire
land in any form of common govern
ment
The general understanding was
that the Sim Fein delegates insisted
that there must be no partition of
Ireland into the North and South
with different relations to the empire.
To reconcile these conflicting view
points, Lloyd George invited Sir
James Craig, the Ulster Premier, to
come to London in the first week in
November to talk things over The
situation was so delicate that Sir
James desired the support and ad-
vice of other Ulster leaders and fin
ally all the members of the Ulster
cabinet were called to London. Union
list opinion in England has been stead
fastly against any coercion of Ul-
ster," Ii was generally conceded that
only one of the most difficult stages
of the negotiations had been reached.