New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-06
Leader Is Willing to Meet
Lloyd George if North
ern Faction Consents: +:
Offers Full Autonomy
Hope of Settlement
Strong ongg in London
Smuts Is in Dublin With
Full Authority to Rep
resent the Government: +:
Early Truce Looked For
Special Gable to The Tribuns

DUBLIN, July 5.-If Ulster will
agree to the setting up of a federal.
governing Irish state, Sim Fein
VIII meet Premier Lloyd George in
conference in London to arrange q
settlement of the Irish question, the
Tribune correspondent learns TO-DAY.
1t is said that this is essentially the
position of Eamon de Valera, presi-
dent of "the Irish republic" and his
colleagues. They will agree to give
Ulster more generous measure of
autonomy than it now enjoys if a
federal state within the British En-
pre- can be set up, but are deter
mined not to treat with Lloyd George
on the basis of the present Horne
Rule act.
IT satisfactory assurances on this
point are forthcoming from Belfast.
DE Valera will not even insist on
the preliminary meeting with Sir
james Craig, Ulster Premier, which
he has been asking as a prerequisite
to attendance at any conference with
Lloyd George.
Smuts Meets All Factions
General Jan Christian Smuts, Pre-
mler OF South Africa, arrived here TO-
day to meet leaders of all factions in
the irish controversy. He will stay
over until Friday to meet an adioured
session of yesterdays Mansion House
conference, at which De Valera dis
cussed the situation with representa-
tlves Of the minority factions. The
meeting on Friday is expected to work
out some definite decision and to bring
from De Valera a final reply to Lloyd
Georges invitation to London parley.
From The Tribune,s European Bureau
Copyright. 1921 New York Tribune Inc,
LONDON, July 5.-General Smuts.
who has been, the real driving force
behind the preliminary negotiations
that are moving with amazing rapidity
toward solution of the Irish prob
lem is in Dublin equipped with powers
tantamount TO those Of a plenipoten-
tiary. Before leaving London he
4 ASoS4ieu al UNDERSTANDING WITH premier
Lloyd George, and in the conference
he will hold in the next few days with
De Valera and other factonal leaders
in Ireland the South African Premier
will be able to tell them exactly what
De Valera can expect if he agrees to
sit at a conference table with the re-
sponsible heads of the British govern
ment. SHUTS went to Ireland as the
result of pressing invitations from
Sim Fein, well as Nationalist
leaders, and the confidence which he
enjoys on all sides is expected to prove
a powerful factor ln bringing early
peace.
Lord Middleton and his three Union
ist colleagues who met De Valera and
other Irish leaders at a conference in
Dublin yesterday visited Lloyd George
in Downing Street this morning The
British Premier is highly pleased with
the course of events, and on the basis
of the report he got from yesterdays
meeting it may be said that there
seems to be no doubt that a conference
in London of all interested parties will
be held. Attendance of representa-
tives of all leading Irish factions to
talk peace with Lloyd George is yir-
tually assured.
Armistice Is Next Step
In influential quarters in London it
is admitted that the trend of present
discussions is toward dominion home
rule for Ireland. The next step will
be the arranging Of an armistice, but
not much difficulty is expected in this
direction, as both sides would welcome
a cessation of hostilities and the
British are no longer insistent that tho
republicans surrender all their ammu-
milton before peace can be discussed
General Smuts was welcomed in Dub
lin as if he were actually a peace
messenger. He had travelled in secret
and although it was known that he
had accepted invitations to visit Ire
land, even the Sim Feiners who were
awaiting his coming in Kingstown, were
not aware that he was on the mailboat
which carried him. After conferences
in Dublin the South African leader
plans to go to Belfast to meet Sir
James Craig.
The London press has taken high~ r
ly favorable attitude toward the nego-
tiations, pointing with considerable
satisfaction to the part that General
Smuts is playing. With the exception
of The Morning Pest, which is highly
critical in its lamentations that the
government was compelled to treat
with the rebels in Dublin under an
American flag, the press generally ap-
proves the course of events and ex-
presses considerable optimism regard
ing the future. One feature that en-
courages the British to believe that
peace is in sight is that neither side
in Ireland is attempting to make po-
litical capital out of the situation.