Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-07-09
EVENTS OF A WEEK.

The week has been an historic one, for It has brought
snasthing more than hope out Of the chaos that has
hunE over ireland for a long time. After many bitter
months during which life and property were destroyed,
truce between England and Ireland has been declared.
ana ho~ssiaities will end at noon Monday. Eannonn .ds
valera, the Irish Republican leader, has consented to go
70 London and to take part in q conference invited by
Lloyd George. the British prime minister. Sir Jalnea
Craig. the Ulster premier previously had announced his
willingness to meet with the. prime minister and with
de Valera to discuss a satisfactory basis for a settlement
81 the problem.
Upon receipt Of Lloyd Georges invitation. the lead.
er of the so-caled Irish Republic, announced that he
would not attend such a conference. London rewspa-
pess received the announcement with regret, but they
ireland must cease Immediately. else England would use
every ounce Of her strength to force a cessation Of hostil-
ittes and an adoption OF a settlement.
During the week, event followed event rapidly In
London and In Dublin. and all events seemed to revolve
around General Jan G. SHUTS. the premier OF the Union
OF South Africa. General SHUTS has become the man
81 the hour. both In London and In Dublin. He declares
thst the Irish question can be settled, and he is ready
70 settle it. He has received the encouragement Of King
George, who has become one OF the leading figures IN
the developments.
After conferences In Dublin, Ia which he nat ana
talked with de Valera, General SHUTS returned to London.
on WAdnesday and Immediately went into conferences
With Lloyd George and other prominent omcia1s. It Is
believed that he presented definite proposals. fror. the
Irish Republican leader. What those proposals are, II
any he received, no one knows. except those who gave
A8uo F6GaIye0A L0end. %SE44g
II - significant to note, however, that In a speech
that nisht General SHUTS declared that the Irish prob
lem was = soluble problem. He said that an equally dtf-
ficnlt problem had been solved in South Africa, and
that today South Africa was one Of the hnppiest coun-
tries in the world
Nov, 1t appears that the conterees have reached
some middle course upon which they can meet and, per-
haps agree. It = rumored for instance. that de Valera
is wiling 70 foreso his demands for n Irish republic. It
~ runnored. too. that England is willing to make far-reach-
ing concessions, which ekvalera Will appreciate. The
world at large VIII not know what these concessions
are nor what de Valera proposes until Lloyd George
confers with the Ulster premier and the leader Of the
1rtsh Republic.
ssAs = .
# Friday was a day Of swiftly novtng events. In
Dublin, General Sir Nevtl Macready, the military com
mander In Ireland, appeared at a. conferences which de
Valera held with southern Uniontsts. He appeared, It -
Sid. u regard to a letter which the British prime min
ststar had given. to Earl Middleton, a Unionist, In which
Lloyd George declared that Great Britain could not con-
ttnue her negotiations looking toward peace until hos
Titles ceased. He also declared that the government
would give Instructions to troops and police to suspend
active operations the moment de Valera declared HIS
willingness to engage in conferences with the prime MIN
lister.
So. at last, there appears to be hope Of a settlement.
INC. 10 Downing Street, has made arrangements for the
has made ready to meet the British government.