New-York tribune., 1921-11-27
Peace In Erin
Rests on Craig
Ulster Speech
Action to Follow Tuesdays
Address Is Expected to
Effect Settlement or
End All Negotiations
Allegiance Still an Issue
Lord Chancellor Says Ire
land Is Offered Chance to
Become Another Canada

TUNBRIDGE WELLS, Eng, Nov. rs
(By The Associated Press).-Lord
Chancellor Birkenhead, speaking at a
mass meeting here to-day, said he
could not confidently predict that the
Irish question would be satisfactorily
solved. He said what the British gov
ernment had offered Sim Fein was
that. with one or two reservations, Ire
land should be placed in exactly the
same position as Canada.
I cannot say" said the Lord Chan
cellor
"It is very easy" he added, ''to say:
why don't you raise an army and
coerce Ireland as the only means of
obtaining peace" If such a tragic
necessity were to arise no British gov
e-nment would shrink from the respon-
sibility. But when that had been done
how much nearer would we be to the
attainment of contented Ireland ?"
Referring to Ulster, Lord Birken-
head said there could be no question of
taking any of her special privileges or
powers from her, but he hoped that
Ulster. having complete protection
against any invasion of her powers,
would in the near future realize that
her interests in other matters concern
ing Ireland as a whole would be better
served by contributing her experience
to a central authority. "The difficult
fest" ne said.
Tariff and Labor Questions
He said the government had made it
clear that it could not assent to any
arrangement which would produce the
secession of Ireland from the British
Empire.
Later in his speech Lord Birken-
head explained that the one or two
home rule for Ireland concerned the
question of tariff and naval facilities.
The latter, he said, was vital and an
indispensable matter. Moreover, re-
ferring to the question of Irish allie
glance to the crown, he declared the
British crown was symbol as neces-
sary in Ireland as in Canada and
throughout the empire.
From The Tribune's European Bureou
Copyright, 1921. New York Tribune Inc.
LONDON, Nov. 26-Every sign un-
fortunately points to the breakdown of
the Irish peace negotiations. The whole
center of activities has now shifted to
Ireland, the Sim Fein delegation hav-
ing returned to Dublin and the Ulster
men to Belfast. The fact that Arthur
Griffith, vice-president of Sim Fein,
has gone to Dublin for the first time
since he came here in October is taken
as proof that the Sinn Feiners an
tic.pate serious developments follow
Ing the statements which Sir James
Craig. Premier of Ulster, will make to
the Ulster Parliament Tuesday.
Every one is asking not whether q
crisis has been reached, but whether it
will be followed by war or a resump-
ton of negotiations under different
conditions. Ulster is held to be en-
tirely responsible for the present stu
alton. This time England's sympathy
is largely on the side of the Sim Fem
ers and not with Ulster. That state
ment is true of the government even
With its preponderance Of Conserva-
tive ministers.
Ulster Opposes Unity
The issue is simple and easily de-
fined. The Sim Feiners insist on 4
united Ireland, by which they mean
that there must be q common Assem-
bly, for the north and the south.
Granted this, the Sim Feiners are
ready to take the oath Of allegiance to
the crown.
Ulster, however, is fighting against
united Parliament. Certain Sim
Feiners are making much out of the
publication of q secret circular calling
Tor the formation of an armed force in
Ulster, and as it bore the signature Of
amemher of the British constabularv
they are charging the government with
nsd faith. Though the issuing Of the
circular apparently is a breach of the
truce there is no reason to accuse tho