Evening star., 1921-08-14
Official Issuance of Smuts
Letter Throws Light on Ne
gotiations With Sim Fein.
ARGUES THAT ULSTER
MUST COME IN LATER
Sees Lloyd Georges Offer to 26
Counties as Only Solution, Since
North Cannot Be Coerced.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated PresS.
LONDON. August 13.-Ofhcial light
upon the status of the Irish negotia-
tions was given by the government
for the first time today in the form of
a letter written by Gen. Jan c. Smuts.
the South African premier. to Ea-
mon de Valera. the Irish republican
leader. This letter. which is dated
August 4, reveals that Premier Lloyd
George offered the twenty-six Sim
Fein counties complete Dominion
status. subject to certain strategic
safeguards"
letter that Sir James Craig. the
Ulster premier, has refused to nego-
tiate with Mr.. de Valera, and that
Ulster is standing firm for retaining
her present government
Gen. Smuts. however. urged the
republican leader to accept Dominion
status and let Ulster join the
south in her own time, as he be-
lieved that through the successful
running Of the Irish state sand The
pull of economic and peaceful forces
Ulster eventually would be brought
into line.
Dominion Status offered.
1.-THE British prime minister" wrote
Gen. Smuts in the course Of his long
letter, offers complete Dominion
status to the twenty-six counties, sub
ject to certain strategic safeguards
which you are asked to agree to vol
unfairly as a free Dominion. - II
is far more than was offered the
Transvaal and the Free State"
Gen. Smutz in the letter asserted
he had been desirous of helping along
an Irish settlement. but there ex-
listed an impasse which he did not
know at the time how to get over.
This he said. Naa that both Sir
James Craig, ths Ulster rfsnisr. Add
Mt. de vAier< were Equality tHamov-
able In their positions. ths former
maintaining that Ulster would not
consent to change from her present
status and the republican leader in
sisting that Ulster come under a
Force In Out Of the Question.
'.Force as a solution Of the problem 81
continued Gen. Smuts. 'is out of. the
question, both on your Ode Valera's)
and his (Craig's) premises. The
process Of arriving at an agreement
will, therefore, take time"
1o5n "a <hat
reason he considered he could be OF
no further use at this stage Of the
negotiations and. therefore, was going
home.
Any solution on the lines Of Ulster
coming into an Irish state was fore
doomed to failure at the present, he
declared. as Ulster would not agree
| to this and could not be forced.
Gen. Smuts urged Mr.. de Valera to
let Ulster alone at present and con-
centrate on a free constitution for the
remaining twenty six counties of Ire
land. "and through the successful
running Of the Irish state and the
pull of economic and peaceful forces
eventually bring Ulster into that
state"
"As said before" reiterated Gen.
SHUTS, II don't consider one single,
clean-cut solution of the Irish ques-
ton possible at present"
Gen. SHUTS in the course of his let
ter said:
II believe it is in the interest of
Ulster to come in, and that the force
of the community of interests will
over period of years become SO
great and compelling that Ulster will,
herself. decide to join the Irish state.
Not only will she not consent to come
in, but even II she does the Irish
state will, fear, start under such q
handicap of internal friction and dis
cordance that the result may all be a
failure once more.
"The humble acceptance of facts is
(Continued on Page 8, Column 4.