New-York tribune., 1921-12-29
Lloyd George Meets Plea
of De Valera to Alter
Text With Final ssNo'':
British Limit Reached
Slightest g Change
Renders 1t Void
Insists No True Statesman
Could Consider Erin
Outside of Empire
By Arthur S. Draper
From The Tribune's Europeon Burea,

From The Tribune's European Bureau
Copyright, 1921, New York Tribune Inc.
LONDON, Dec. 2S.-Premier Lloyd
George pronounced final and un-
equivocal mo" tonight to implications
by the De Valera faction in the Irish
Parliament that the treaty signed in
London and awaiting ratification by
the Dali Eireann might be amended so
as to approach more closely to the de-
mands of the irreconcilable Irish Re-
publicans. Great Britain has said her
last word and already has made every
concession possible, the Premier
warned.
In statement given out in Downing
Street, Mr.. Lloyd George declared that
to reopen the Irish discussion would
be fruitless discussion and impossi-
bic. The statement evidently was in
tended to be the Premier's final an
nouncement to the Dali, which will
resume it's discussion of the treaty
while he is absent at the meeting of
the Allied Supreme Council at Cannes.
"Not merely rejection, but altera-
tion even, of the treaty, would render
it null and void" the Premier insisted
in a passage obviously aimed at meet
group. He pointed out that the treaty
gives Ireland equality with other
states of the empire, with the same
rights as Canada and the same claim
to membership in the League of Ma
tions. "The British government have
gone to their utmost limit" he assert
ed.
Committee Work Delayed
With q view to inducing the Dsil to
ratify the treaty speedily, the Premiers
statement points out that a Cabinet
committee under the presidency of
Winston Churchill has been appointed
to deal with the evacuation of Ireland
amnesty and the transfer of full
powers to provisional government
He points out that the work of the
committee has been held up by the
Dail's delay, but promises that when
the treaty is approved the work will be
completed with the utmost possible dis
patch.
SO far as the influence Of public opin-
ION can affect the Dali, Lloyd George
The trouble is that the Dali is so
largely impervious to public opinion.
LONDON, Dec 28 (By The Asso-
ciated Press Following is the text
of Premier Lloyd Georges statement:
mo British statesman could 20 fur
ther than we have gone; no British
| statesman could consider any proposal
involving Ireland being out Of the en-
| pire.
'Thc treaty places ireland on an
equality with the other states of the
empire and gives ireland the same
claim to membership in the League of
Nations and every right that Canada
! has in law, fact and constitutional
practice; and not merely rejection, but
alteration even, of the treaty would
render it null and void. This would
indeed be deplorablc in the interests
of both countries.
British Limit Reached
'The British government have gone
to their utmost limit in the treaty, and
to reopen the discussion, which was
closed only after the most exhaustive
consideration of every point, would be
q fruitless proceeding, and is impos-
| sible.
"a committee, consisting Of British
ministers presided over by the Colonia
Secretary, has been set up to deal will
the evacuation Of the British forces
the settling of amnesty and the max
ing of all necessary arrangements -ol
the British side and transferring full
executive responsibility to an 1rsl
provisional government. The work O.
this committee. which had been in con
tinuous session up to Christmas, ant
Continued page three)