The New York herald., 1921-07-11
De VALERA TO MEET
PREMIER This WEEK
Peace Conference to Follow
Provided No UntOward In
cidents Come Up.
LLOYD GEORGE HOPEFUL
Asks Irish Leader, in Message,
to Bring Colleagues to
Discuss Basis.
LLOYD GEORGE HOPEFUL

Special Gable to THE New York HERAIp.
COPYRIGHT, 1921, By THE New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
London, July 10.
The general Irish peace conference.
in which representatives of North and
South Ireland. Lloyd George and i'm
periaI and Dominion Ministers will
participate, will sit in London next
week provided ilo untoward incidents
come. and Premier Lloyd George tele-
graphed to Eamonn de Valera tonight
regarding their preliminary meeting to
discuss a basis for this conference as
follows:
II have received your letter of ac-
ceptance and should be happy to see
you and any of your colleagues whom
you may wish to bring with you at
Downing Street any day this week.
Please wire the day of your arrival in
London"
Meanwhile the truce has been OBJ
served throughout ireland (although
It is not actually effective until noon
to-morrow) except in Belfast. where
the streets presented almost as bloody
picture to-day as at any time during
the Irish war.
This unfortunate event rs recognized
In London as representing essential diff
ficulties In the peace situation. 1t was
said In Government quarters--and 1t is
strange thing to find Government quar-
tiers giving excuses for the Sim Fem
that the attack on the police patrol in
Belfast probably was due to local diff
fculties Of the Sim Fein in enforcing
rs will there. 1t Is recognized also that
the answer of the Orangemen also rep
resents the difficulty which Sir James
Craig will have in inducing his followers
to accept anything that looks like a
in the south.
Nevertheless Government spokesnen
hcre remain extremely optimistic that a
final settlement will be reached They
ssert that such violence as there has
been since the truce was announced for
Monday probably Is due to local feuds
by which one side or the other is seeking
vengeance on old time opponents before
what mas up to the present been the ir-
reconcilable attitude of dc Valera and
his colleague against the partition OF
Ireland. and the apparently equal de-
termination in Ulster that the present
status of the six counties under the
home rule act shall not be disturbed.
That Ulster is smarting under the trade
boycott exercised by southern Ireland is
not forgotten.
No word has been received from the
Prime Minister'S country place. Check
ers. where Lloyd George is conferring
with the Dominion premiers over the
week end. except the announcement of
his telegram to de Valera The terms
of that telegram seem to Indicate that
the Premier has fallen In with the plan
his colleagues frst
1t is recognized that the critical stage
Of the conference will be the first con-
tact between Lloyd George and de
Valera. The latter may present
proposition which Premier Lloyd George
could not accept, even with his desire
for peace But those who are best in
formed continue to insist that the pros
poets for peace are excellent and bass
those predictions upon informal feelers
which already have been sent out
toward the Sim Fein during the con-
ference at Dublin looking toward Mon
days truce.
AS Sir James Craig's practical con-
tributon to the peace movement II be-
came known that when De Valera comes
to Downing Street sir James will not
be present at the southern leaders first
meeting with Premier Lloyd George. At
the first glimpse this looked like re-
but some of Sir JaInes's
friends took pains to explain that he
wanted at least to that extent to make
De valera's position easy by letting him
inaugurate the conference with the
British Prime Minister, thus not In
volving him In a tacit recognition OF
listers coequai rights with the rest
of ireland. which would be implied by
the two leaders sitting together with
Lloyd George.
II la pointed out. however. that once
the conference starts Lloyd George
might call in Sir James Craig, on any
footing that might appear desirsbl as
the discussion with De Valera and mis-
associates develops.
Great Britain already has started
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Oort1sued on second- Page,