Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-05
IRISH PEACE FAILS,
SINN FEIN REFUSES
FEALTY TO CROWN
Continued from mage 1


control the seas AROUND the British
Isles. that the Irish military forces
should conform In numbers to the mill
tary establishments In other parts OF
Great Britain, that Grent Britain
should be afforded every necessary ia
clity In ireland for the development
OF mir defense. that Ireland should
agree TO contribute to the naval and
military forces OF the British Empire.
| that Ireland should raise no tariff or
trade restrictions against Great Brit
ain and that Ireland should assume a
/ share OF the United Kingdoms present
debt and pensions.
stu further, the proposals included
the full recognition by Southern Ire
land of the Ulster government with
all its rights and privileges.
The part played by General SHUTS In
the negotiations Is generally con-
sldered to have been very important.
His views were set forth August In
a long letter to De Valera. In which
he recounted his own peoples ex-
perience in setting up the South Afri-
can Union and counselled moderation
and forebearance. His letter seemed
10 many 1rishmen TO carry more liberal
assurances than Lloyd Georges bare
terms and some of them urged the
Premier to say whether he stood by
II as part of the terms. On August TO-
six days before the Dail convened DE
Valera, voicing the opinion of him
self and cabinet. replied 10 Lloyd
Georges overture and refused the
offer as whole because, he said. It
was "self-contradictory."
The Irish Republican leader and his
colleagues while rejecting tho offer OF
dominion rule for ireland said they ap-
proved certain parts of II. namely.
autonomy In finance and taxation,
military forces for home defense,
Irish police and the control of the
Irish postal service. In his letter to
Lloyd George, DE Valera said; IRE
lands right to choose for herself the
path she should take to realize her
own destiny. must be accepted as In
dpfea sible The Irish people 9
belief is that national destiny can best
be realized in political detachment free
from lmperiallstic entanglements
which, they feel, will involve enter
prisea out OF harmony with the ma
tional character, prove destructive TO
their ideals and be fruitful OF only
ruinous wars, crushing burdens, so
cial discomfort and general unrest
and unhappiness. Dominion
status for Ireland Is by every one who
J understands the conditions known to
be illusory"
on August l3. three days before the
Dali Eireann assembled TO decide IS
7 I ,-.t.tfaI a.
DE Valera'a rejection OF his peace pro
posals. In his letter the premier en-
pha sized point on which. he said
mo British government can compro
mise. namely the claim that we SHOULD
acknowledge the right OF Ireland {,
sccede from her allegiance TO th'
King"
: Llovd George continued. "The con
: ditions OF the proposed settlement dc
I not arise from any desire TO force oui
, will upon the people OF another race
Q hut from facts which are as vital e
r Irelands welfare "a to our own Tho,
I contain no derogation from Ireland
3 status as dominion. no desire 10
l British ascendancy over Ireland ant
= no impairment of lrelands natlonn
n ideals our proposals present To tn
Irish people an opportunity such a
r never dawncd in their history before
I We have made them in "A sincere de
sire to achieve peace, but beyond then
we cannot go"
Sir James Craig, the Ulster premier
in setting forth the attitude of tn
people OF Northern Ireland toward tn
r peace negotiations. in "A letter to Lloy
George on August 15. said: I'VE ar
= husily engaged I'm ratifying our par
!. of the solemn bargain (the Govern
y. ment OF ireland Act providing for tw
parliaments) while the Irishmen out
( side the northern area, who in the pas
have struggled for Home Rule. hav
u chosen TO repudiate tho Governmer
= of Ireland Act and press Great Brtai
* for wider powers. To join in such pres
II sure is repugnant to the people {
Northern Ireland. We are pre-
e pared. when you and Mr.. DE Waller
y arrive at a satisfactory settlement, 4
o cooperate with Southern Ireland O
: equal terms for the future welfare ,
our common country"
1. DE Valera, at the opening session c
II the Dali Eireann. August 16. reiter
Is ated his demand for complete separa
ton and, speaking for the Da
Eireann cabinet. rejected the offer {
dominion status on the ground tha
the people of Southern Ireland in
general election had Joted for freedol
from Great Britain. The Irish lead'
insisted that he and his colleague
re stood for 'the ideals embodied In ii
NJ American Declaration of IndepeI
III denCe."
u From that time negotiations hay
ie been continued at intervals unit
' eventually when the problem seem'
solved the Ulster Premier was call,
=, in TO consider the negotiations und
' way. but he refused To assent TO Il
: terms despite innumerable attemp
- to modify the terms Of the propose
-, that England had submitted.
of The hope was expressed I'm son
&C gov vcrnment circles that when q
he governments terms were made pub
n the weight OF average Irish opinio
assumed in these circles to be mo
crate, might be eXeTted TO infiuen
the Sim Fein. The most importa
body of such opinion, however, is 81
by quarters in close touch with it
Of hold the view that an agreeme
he would have been possible If the so
lie crnment. not as these southerners co
d. slider IT, yielded to Ulster
In on the government side 1t was {
IS clared the cabinet up to the last h
h tried 10 find some form Of adjustmo
mi of the wide differences between the &c
en ernment's proposals and the amer
oy ments which the Sim Fein delega'
submitted, indicating the fullest {
ne tent TO which they were prepared
wv M