Evening star., 1921-09-18
Quick Reply to Lloyd George
Note Assures Renewal
of Negotiations.
INDEPENDENT STATE
ISSUE NOT MENTIONED
"Self-Recognition" Mentioned in
Telegram Expressing Anxiety
for New Peace Farley.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
LONDON, September IA confer
ence between the British cabinet and
representatives Of the Sim Fein now
seems assured. Eamonn De Valera.
the Irish republican leader. dis
patched a telegram to Premier Lloyd
George late tonight. which. appar-
emily, cannot fail to achieve this re-
suit.
His message was in reply to one
from the prime minister, which de-
clared firmly the inability of the
British government to meet the Sim
Fein plenipotentiaries on the basis
Independent state and pointing out
the consequences of such recognition.
sinn Feiners Rush Reply.
There were hurried consultations
among the Sim Fein leaders at Dub
lin, from which emerged this latest.
apparently conclusive message de-
claring their earnest wish to meet
the British governments spokesmen.
Mr.. De Valera passed over the ques-
tion of recognition as an independent
state, and made reference to self
determination" which is considered
so far outside the terms of interna-
tional definitions that is is hardly
expected to raise an obstacle to the
conference.
There has been a strong demand
for a meeting between the British
and Irish representatives by the Irish
newspapers. which. heretofore, have
kept silence on the negotiations. and
it is believed that they represent
Irish public opinion, tending to a re-
sumption of the negotiations.
Conference Now Certain.
In the London newspaperx Offices
tonight conference is considered
certain.
Early in the day Premier Lloyd
George sent a telegram to Mr.. De Va
lera. which followed with unexpected,
quickness on the heels Of the Sim
Fein response to his cancellation of
the Inverness arrangements. This tel
egram was forwarded to the republi-
can leader at Black Rock Immediately.
and. without delay, he dispatched his
reply. announcing that I'VE have al
ready accepted your invitation in the
exact words which you requote from
your letter of thesseventh."
The prime minister. in replying to
the Irish leaders previous insistence
that the meeting be held without
prejudice and untrammeled by any
conditions" declared: "It would be
idle to say that conference in which
we had already met your delegates
as representatives of an independent
and sovereign state would be a con-
ference without prejudice"
Allegiance to King Demanded.
Such acceptance of the delegates,
Mr.. Lloyd George pointed out, would
set an example to other powers to
treat Ireland as sovereign and indie
pendent state. and he emphasized that
there could be no abandonment, how
ever informal. of the people of al
legiance to the king.
Reports tonight from Gairloch in
dicated that Mr.. Lloyd George con-
tinues to improve from his indisposi-
tion. He was able to be out on the
porch of his residence, and It ia
thought that he will be able to return
to London by Tuesday. if necessary.
An early meeting of the cabinet is re-
4arded as likely.
Text Of Lloyd George Note,
The text of Mr.. Lloyd Georges
communication follows:
"Sir: 1 have received the commu-
nication which you telegraphed me
last night. 1t would be idle to saw
that conference in which we had
already met your delegates as rep
resentatives of an Independent and
sovereign state would be q confer
ence without prejudice To receive
them as such would constitute formal
and official recognition of Ireland's
severance from the kings domains.
1t would. indeed. entitle you, II you
thought fit. to make treaty of amity
with the king, but it would equally
entitle you to make no treaty at all.
to break off the conference with us
at any point. and by the right which
we ourselves had already recognized
to negotiate union of Ireland with
. foreign power.
TT would also entitle you, If YOU
insisted upon another appeal. to force
the claim from foreign powers, by
our implicit admission. the rights of
lawful belligerents against the king,
for If we dealt with you as a SOW
ereign and Independent state we
should have no right to complain of
other powers following our example.
What British VIII Discuss.
these would be- the consequences
Of receiving your delegates as the
Representatives of an independent
state. We are prepared. in the words
CT my letter Of September z, to dis
cuss with you how the association
of Ireland with the community of
nations known as the British empire.
can best be reconciled with Irish ma
tional aspirations
I'VE cannot consent to any abandon
ment. however informal, Of the principle
Of allegiance to the king. upon which the
sole fabric Of the empire and every con-
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