Evening star., 1921-08-19
ENGLAND REFUSES
TO CHANGE TERMS
OFFERED TO IRISH
Limit of Possible Concessions
Made, Lloyd George Tells
House of Commons.
PROPOSALS NOT HAGGLING
HE SAYS, AS CRISIS NEARS
Grave Danger in Rejection Seen.
Letters to de Valera Conveyed
Complete British Stand.

Letters to de Valera Conveyed
Complete British Stand.
BY the Associated Press
By the Associated Press
LONDON. August 19.-The British
government. in its Irish peace offer.
had conceded everything it was pos
sible to concede, Premier Lloyd
George declared to the house of COM
mons today in his expected state
pent on the Irish peace negotiations.
1t embodied the largest measure of
freedom ever offered Ireland, he said.
and he hoped the Irish leaders would
not reject it, "and take the RESPONSE
bility of renewing a conflict which
would be robbed of all glory and all
gratitude by it's overshadowing hor-
rOr.
MIR. Lloyd George disclaimed any
menace for his words. He declared,
however. that the government in max
ing its terms had done everything 1t
could to secure peace and the good
will of the people of Ireland. and that
it was faced with the possibility.
said, that its terms would be reject
ed. In that case. he said, the country
would face a graver situation regard
ing Ireland than ever before.
Cards ON Table.
Mr.. Lloyd Georges speech in the
lower house was made when a motion
was offered that the house adjourn
that nothing specific could be said on
the situation at this stage. as there
was always the danger that words
might be used which were capable. II
not of misunderstanding, at least of
Misrepresentation. All the govern
ment had to say had been said in the
two letters he had addressed to Eamonn
de Valera, declared the prime minister.
The government had decided to lay
all its cards on the table. and had
done So he added.
Il want to make it clear" contin-
used the prime minister, that the
government did not put forth hag-
Cling terms, but put forward every
thing they could possibly concede to
purchase peace and the good will of
SO far as 1 can see, the doubt is not
SO much as to the terms. but as TO
whether the government really
means them.
Basis Cannot Change.
''That is question Of working out
the terms-of elucidation and elabo-
ration, and not a changing Of the
terms. The outline cannot be altered
nor the basis changed.
In view of the fact that the house
is about to separate. and the fact
that very disquieting statements have
been made, and even of a few dis
quieting facts, we are bound as
government to take thought of all
possible contingencies, however un-
pleasant they may be.
The first is the possibility Of an
agreement. in which case the details
will have to be thrashed out, which
will take time. There il always apt
to be an atmosphere of suspicion sur
rounding relations between two
countries suggestion of bad faith
if there is misunderstanding on the.
slightest particular"
Early Action Urgent.
1t would thus be the duty of the
executive, said the prime minister, to
place bill embodying the details and
principles before the parliament for
immediate action, because delay is
disastrous once an agreement was
reached.
Il wish it was not necessary to deal
with the other contingency, but we
are bound to take notice of certain
things which have been said. This
contingency is that our terms are re-
jected.
Were that misfortune to befall the
relations between these two islands,
whose history has been so full of un-,
fortunate incidents. we would be faced
with graver situation in regard to
ireland than that with which we have
ever been confronted.
'Wha tever these terms may accom-
pl:sh and may have done, there is one
thing they have achieved. They have
defined the issues more clearly than
ever before; and rejection would be
an unmistakable challenge to the au-
thority of the crown and the unity
of the empire, and no party in the
state could possibly pass that over
without notice.
Danger In Threats.
Il am using no language of menace
That would be. indeed. folly. Where
there are so many existing difficulties,
to use threatening language would
be to aggravate old difficulties and
create new ones.
IF there is rejection. and final re-
lection beXQnd hope of negotiation,
steps will Undoubtedly have to be
and won't wish to take without first
consulting parliament and giving it
full opportunity of expressing ap-
proval or disapproval of any steps we
might propose to it"
The premier explained that the mo-
tion to adjourn was for the house to
meet October Is. for formal proroga-
tion. if the negotiations were pro-
ceeding satisfactorily. If the nego-
tiationS broke down and the position
became hopeless, he added, the speak,
er was empowered, after consultation
with the government, to summon par
Lament on forty-eight hours notice.
DESTROYS of Peace.
The executive, said the prime min
lister, would feel authorized to take
any necessary urgency measure, but
would not, therefore, delay the sum-
moning of parliament.
In concluding Mr.. Lloyd George said !:
"The government is sincerely desirous
that peace should be secured and that
the long MISUNDERSTANDING, some-
times sulky, sometimes savage, which
make so many chapters of British
history painful reading, misunder-
who ought to live in peace and
harmony. even in affection. together,
should be brought to an end
In spite of the disquieting facts, I
hope reason will prevail even over
logic, and that the Irish leaders will
no, reject the largest measures of
freedom ever offered their country and
conflict which would be robbed of all
glory and all gratitude by its over
shadowing horror"
Mr.. Lloyd George has during the
past week made two important
speeches before commons. One de-
tailed the controversy over Upper
Silesia and the reference of that
fhe same time outlining measures
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