The New York herald., 1921-08-17
DALI EIREANN SITS
OPENLY IN DUBLIN
And DEFIES BRITAIN
De Valera Presides as Par
lament of Ireland Takes
Oath Of Fealty to
Republic.
PATTERNED AFTER L. S.
Government. Called Only
One in Ireland, Is Based
on American Declara-
ton, 1t Is Said.
OFFERS TERMED UNJUST
Leader Quotes Lloyd Georges
Address to U. 5. Troops:
Wants Something i'm Re-
turn for Naval Bases.
OFFERS TERMED UNJUST

Special Gable 10 THE NRw YORK HEEAtp.
Copyright, 1881, by THE NEw YoRK HERAL,
DUBLIN. Aug. ia parliament OF
Ireland-the Dali Eireann OF 1921
sat openly in the historic Mansion
House in Dublin to-day and heard its
leaders demand complete independence
for Ireland. It took an oath OF fealty
to the Irish Republic. It's own troops
regulated the traffic and guarded the
entrances to the building while Brit.
ish Tommies riding on army supply
lorries grinned and the uniformed
Dublin policemen scarcely repressed
their cheers.
Within canon de Valera, Irish
republican leader, sounded note
even more defiant to Great Britain.
Because the British proposals were
not just we sent them back with the
answer we did" he declared.
The Irish Republican President
added that for Ireland he and his
colleagues stood for the ideals EN-
bodied in the American Declaration
OF Independence. He reiterated Ire.
lands claim to separation from the
British Empire and asserted that the
cabinet of the republican parliament
was the sole government the Irish
people recognized.
Address to U. =. Troops Cited.
Reviewing the history o. the forma.
tion of the Dali Eireann as the result
Of the 1918 elections, it's meeting, its
functioning as government and its
declaration for an independent repub'
lie, Mr.. de Valera proceeded 70 read
extracts from Premier Lloyd Georges
speech to American troops following
Woodrow Wilson's address at Mount
Vernon July 4, in which Mr. Lloyd
George approved Mr.. wilson's decla.
ration that the war was being fought
so that no government might exist
without the consent OF the governed
He went on with other extracts from
Mr.. Lloyd Georges war time utter.
ances SO effective that the Irish audi.
ence OF 1000. ever ready to appre.
ciate score at verbal fitting. broke
into ripples OF laughter.
He quoted Mr.. Lloyd George on the
indefeasible right OF Belgium, Poland
and Russia to live under a govern.
ment the people chose and TO be pro-
tected from aggression by powerful
neighbors and concluded with: There
would be no need of negotiations be.
tween Ireland and Great Britain IL
the British Prime Minister recognized
the principles he 50 eloquently advo.
Gated and acted upon then. We stand
for those principles and we mean TO
die for them II necessary"
With that the stiiled laughter broke
into throaty cheers OF men and
women despite the quick hush" from
the ushers.
Can't Negotiate with Force.
1T Is practically impossible TO ne
gotiate with the British Government"
De Valera said. The position is like
asking an unarmed man TO negotiate
with one holding a pistol to his head
When Irishmen come to negotiate with
Great Britain they find at every step
they are confronted not with principle
but with force. Therefore. further nc
gotiauons with Great Britain for tho
most part will mean nothing but the
opportunity OF saving faces. We will
negotiate TO save bloodshed II we can.
but we can only negotiate on right
and on principle.
ut is not just that a small nation
asked to give guarantees 70 save the
big nation. Rather should the big ma
tion give guarantees 70 save the small
nation.
III big empires can claim to grab
up all those small nations beside them
for their interest, then undoubtedly Il
would be that the small nation, which
did so much for the world and which
the Premier has talked SO much about
would cease TO exist"
II cannot tc doubted that the speech
sounds the keynote OF the Sim Fem
opinion on the terms offered by Great
Britain that they cannot be acce pied
But the speech leaves several open
tngs for the continuance Of negotia-
tions and Sim Fein spokosmcn again
took pains to assert that they are not
breaking or connections.
The British spokesmcn here--men
who have guided Lloyd George
throughout his coursc-aiso still pro-
sess to see hope. Dublin Castle took