Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-09
Irish Truce
Arranged
For Monday
De Valera Accepts Invitation
OF Premier Lloyd George
To Participate in Con-
ference at London.
Events Move Swiftly

tOnlgnt AT ~ LOWING street, IN
premier's official residence, that ar
rangements are being made for hos
tilities in Ireland to cease from moor
Monday.
Eamonn De Valera, the Irish re
publican leader, has written to Prim'
Minister Lloyd George, accepting
the latter's invitation to participate
in a conference in London.
The letter of De Valera reads:
"Sir: The desire you express or
the part of the British government
TO end the centuries OF conflict be-
tween the people of these two islands
and to establish relations of neigh
boriy harmony is the genuine desire
OF the people of Ireland.
II have consulted with my col
leagues and received the views of the
representatives of the minority OF
stour nation in regard to the invitation
you have sent ME. In reply / de.
sire to say l am ready to meet and
discuss with you, on what basis:
such a conference as that proposed
can reasonably hope to achieve the
object desired.
! Il am. sir faithfully yours,
"EAMONN DE VALERA"
Events Move Swiftly.
London, July 8-Events moved
swiftly today, both in London and
Dublin. Not only has Mr.. De Val
era, contrary to the general expecta-
tions, consented to come to London
10 discuss with Mr.. Lloyd George
the basis on which settlement of the
Irish question might be reached by
the prime minister's proposed Lon
don conference, but truce has been
arranged to being at noon Monday.
This has givea reasonable assur-
ance that the original conference to
which the prime minister invited the
Irish republican leader and Sir James
Craig. the Ulster premier, will be
held.
The day started hopefully with the
King summoning the Ulster premier
70 a conference at Buckingham pal
Gee. This, following upon the kings
conference yesterday wiHl Gen. Jan
Christian Smuts, the South African
premier, is an indication of the in
tense interest the king is taking in
the Irish problem.
Smuts Real Influence.
General S,nuts is going n Eheq-
crs court to spend the weekend, to-
rcther with the other premiers of the
overseas dominiofs, with Mr.. Lloyd
George. General Smuts evidently is
:,'le influence in the negotiations, per-
Aaps something more than mere in
Nuence for, lacking his active aid,
Il is hardly conceivable that events
could have progressed as rapidly as
hey did today and the fact that the
prime minister has not stood upon.
the dignity of his Office but SEEM
ingly is willing to discuss with Mr.
De Valera the basis for a general
conference, is considered full OF
hopefulness.
The principal events of this im-
portant day, however, occurred not
in London. but in Dublin, and the
most striking was the sensational
appearance of Gen. Sir Nevil Mac
Ready, the military commander in
Ireland at the conference of Eamonn
de Valera and leading southern
unionists, after his aide-de-camp had
been sent in advance, presumably to
ascertain whether his participation
would be agreeable.
General MacReady's appearance
and long stay at the conference
clearly had to do with Mr.. Lloyd
Georges letter to Earl Middleton,
one OF the conferees, in which the
prime minister declared that it would
be impossible to conduct negotia-
tions with any hope of achieving
satisfactory results if violence in Ire
land continued and also that the
British g..- 1nment would give in
structions to troops and police to
suspend active operations the mo-
ment Mr.. De Valera declared his in
tention to enter into conference with
the British government and to order
the cessation of all acts Of violence
BY those under his control.
Meeting Is Secret.
No report of the proceedings of
Mr.. De Valera's conference with
the southern unionists has yet been
issued, but it is believed that the
principal topic discussed was truce
and that Eamonn Dagan, Sim
Fein member of parliament who was
released from Mount Joy prison only
a few days ago, acted as intermedi-
ary between the conference and the
Sim Fein leaders.
Opinion still inclines to the idea
that General SHUTS, owing to the
important part he has taken in the
preliminary negotiations. will be the
first chairman OF the London con-
ference, even if Mr.. Lloyd George
presides during the later stages, as
would be almost inevitable il eonsti-
tutional questions were under dis
cussion.
Another matter that has been
widely discussed to day arising out
of the visit of Secretary of War
Sir Laming Worthington Evans to
the king yesterday. was the posi-
bility that the military evacuation
of ireland is under consideration.
This, it is recalled, has been advo-
Gated by many prominent states
men, including Viscount Grey, for
mer Secretary of foreign affairs. In
view of General MacReady's at
tendance at the Dublin conference.
it is believed not impossible that
such development is actually under
advisement.
Wos4 posxa4 Cha,,4.n,nua