The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-13
DISSENSTON is
SHOWN IN ERIN
PEACE PARLEY
Conference Adjourr,s
After Brief Session;
Optimism Absent.

London, Oct. 13.-(By Associated
Press. THE members of the Brit
ish cabinet and the Sim Fein lead
ers comforting here today, adjourn
ed at 1870 o'clock this afternoon
after having been in session only
an hour and a half
Arthur Griffith, Sim Fein foreign
minister and head of the Irish dele
cation, was asked:
When are you coming back%
CoIIinS, Griffith Disagree.
Michael Collins, Sim Fein finance
minister and commander-in-chi OF
the Irish republican army, inter
jected:
We are not coming back"
Mr.. Griffith then answered.
We are coming back at IL
o'clock tomorrow"
Irish sympathizers gave the Sim
Fein delegates noisy welcome as
they entered Downing street for the
conference and proceeded to recite
the Rosary, kneeling in the street.
Demand Prisoners Release.
London, Oct. 13.-CUnited Press.)
"A fiat demand from Sim Fein for
release Of all it's interned prisoners
today threatened the course OF
smooth negotiations before the Irish
peace conference had fairly begun.
The optimistic air of Tuesday )
opening session had been swept
away, when Sim Fein delegates and
British cabinet members resumed
the conference at 10 Downing street
at noon today.
Two evidences that the situation
was extremely serious were:
l. A lengthy and unexpected in
terview between Lloyd George and
King George at Buckingham palace.
The premier was said to have in
formed the king that the turn nego-
| tiations had taken necessitated con-
sulting his majesty, and went to the
palace with the story Of the diff
! CultieS.
! 2. The session today was post
poned from IL o'clock until noon
and the British cabinet committee
met in special session at the for
mer hour.
! Crowds Cheer. Delegates.
| Crowds again awaited and cheer
ed the delegates as they drove to
| the prime minister's residence abou:
/ a quarter to IL The fact that nons
! had appeared before IL o'clock, the
time originally set for the confer
ence, gave rise to rumors that a
break had occurred, but with al
appearances of maintaining the
/ friendly spirit of the first days
meeting, the plenipotentiaries ar
I t,-,Y fn6 w hE
premier.
| 1t became known, when the dele
gates entered the conference cham
! ber that a serious crisis had arisen
as a result of Sim Fein's demand
as a condition OF the continuance OF
! the conference, that all lnterned
prisoners be released.
British Reply Is Vital.
This demand, made at the opening
! session, had been kept from the
/ public. A British subcommittee
had been appointed to consider It
| and was to make tbs report to the
| conference today.
1t was reported Britain had
agreed to make this drastic conces-
| sion rather than bring about q
breakdown in the negotiations.
Upon the British answer. sue
cessfuI start of the conference, and
nossibly its ultimate fate, depended
The present negotiations have been
generally considered the last chance
! for a pee aceful solution of the Irish
dif7cuIties. The British decision
consequently. was anxiously await
ed
On the surface, everything was
smooth as the conference got down
TO the real work OF finding a base
for peace.