Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-09-16
Lloyd George Calls Off
Meeting, but Leaves
Door Open.
ONLY ONE ANSWER
Says in Reply He Must Consult With
Colleagues What Irish Stand
Means.

LONDON, Sept. l0.-Ihe arrange
ments for the proposed Irish peac
conference are Cancelled, but the ne
gotiations still are not ruptured. Tha
in brief is the story of today's un
expected and surprising develop
ments.
Eamonn de Valera, the Irish Re
publican leader, having reatfirmed M:
claim to enter the conference as tnt
representative of an independent SOW
ereign state, Premier Lloyd George
declares that such admission IS I'M
possible. He announces the canceila
ton of the arrangements for con
ference and the necessity of his con
sulting his colleagues on the subject
The Premier is careful not to close
the door to possible resumption OF the
negotiations. On the contrary, ne
gives Mr.. de Valera and his supporters
the amplest time and opportunity tc
reconsider their position; ne describes
himself as Laid up" at Gairloch, ne
cessitating a few days delay. ms
reference was explained here tonlgh'
by the announcement that the Pre'
mier is suffering from chill and tha'
it would be necessary for him to re-
main indoors for a few days.
Declaring that there was but one
answer to a claim which would be
equivalent to Great Britain's acknoWl'
edging Ireland's right to negotiate
treaty of closer association with
"some foreign power" he mildly re-
nroached the Irish people for taking
no single step to meet the generous
advances of the British Government.
The whole of the letter, in fact, re-
veals that the Premier still retains
hope of some favorable development
incidentally, the Premler's letter
clears up the mystifying events OF the
last few days, showing that Mr.. de
Valera's reply was taken by McGrath
and Boland to Gairloch, but that the
Premier tried unsuccessfully to per.
suade modification of it's tenor and
offered TO regard it as not having oeer
delivered.
The fact that Mr.. de Valera and
his colleagues failed to take advant-
age of this offer is considered an ad-
verse factor and lends a serious as
pect to the situation. :,
The prospect is that there Will De
no move now from either side for a
few days. 1t is noteworthy that in the
final exchanges the traditional dip
lomatic methods of sending notes by
courier were dropped in favor of the
more expeditions telegraph lines.
LLOYD GEORGES REPLY.
The text of Mr.. Lloyd Georges re-
plv, which was telegraphed tonight
says:
II informed your emissaries who
came to me here Tuesday that reiter-
alton of your claim TO negotiate with
His Majesty's Government as the rep,
resentative of an independent and
sovereign state would make confer
ence between us impossible.
"They brought me letter from you
in which you specifically reattirm tina;
claim, stating that your nation has
formally declared its independence
and recognizes itself as a. sovereign
state and it is only, you added, az
representatives of that state and as
its chosen guardians that we have any
authority or powers to act on behalf
of our people
Il asked them to warn you of the
very serious effect Of such a para
graph and offered to regard the letter
as not delivered to me in order that
YOU might have time to reconsider it
Despite this intimation you have now
published the letter in its origina
form. | must accordingly cancel the
arrangements for the conference mex,
week at Inverness and must consul
my colleagues on the course Of actor
this new situation .necessltates. | vii
communicate this to You Is soon 4:
possible, but as | am for the momen
laid ND here, few days delay is in
evitable. Meanwhile, ! must make i
absolutely clear that His Majesty
Government cannot reconsider It's po
sition. which | have stated to you.
IF we accepted a conference witt
Your delegates on the formal state
ment of the claim which you have re
affirmed it would constitute an OF
fetal recognition by His Majesty
Government of the severance OF Ire
land from the empire and of its eS
istence as an independent republic.
1T would, moreover, entitle you t
declare as of right acknowledged D
us that in preference. to assoclatlo'
with the British empire you woul
pursue closer association; by treat
with some other foreign power. Their
is only one answer possible TO such
claim as that. s". 1ea $50
'The great concessions which Hi
Majesty's Government made TO tn
feeling of yoar people in order TO Sc
cure lasting settaement-deserved, j
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