The Washington herald., 1922-05-27
LLOYD GEORGE
AT HELM TODAY
In IRISH CRISIS
Expected to Preside at
Conference of Signers
Of Treaty.
COALITION GAINS
NEW LEASE ON LIFE
Premier Recruits Forces
For Expected Battle
In Commons.

LONDON. May $50 grave 70
the situation in Ireland considered
by the government that Premier
Lloyd George himself probably will
preside at the full conference Of
signatories to the Anglo-Irish
treaty here tomorrow.
Arthur Griffith. president Of the
Dali. accompanied by Eamonn J.
Dugan. secretary of home affairs
for the Dali government. spent two
hours in conference with Winston
Churchill. minister OF colonies All
three are signers of the treaty and
Griffith explained the Free Staters'
agreement with De Valera TO
| Churchill. trying to show that the
two Understandings are not con-
! fiicting.
Churchill afterward laid Grinith's
statement OF the situation before
| the other British signers OF the
/ Irish treaty-eNceptinS Lloyd
| George, who was otherwise en-.
/ gagged.
Premier Clements Forces.
Michael Collins. provisional rresi-
dent Of the Free State government
and George Gavan Duffy. provisional
| foreign minister. are expected 10
arrive in time to hold the first meet
/
| il is expected that Lloyd George will
take the opportunity to give his
view Of the Irish situation then.
Amazing signs Of life have ap-
peared in the coalition government
as the result Of Lloyd Georges
/ dramatic victory in the attack on
his Genoa policy in commons. The
! government. which for weeks had
been slowly sinking until even its
most ardent friends despaired Of
its holding out much lonSer. has
now found its vigor restored and
seems as sound and full Of life as
ever.
Makes Mid speech.
This condition is reflected in the
calm, confident manner Of the pre-
mier. The nervous tension and the
worried look have gone. and the
1 language of evaporation 70 watt
he had been resorting so frequent
OF late has been replaced by even.
restrained utterance.
This was shown most remarka bl~
in his speech 10 his parliamentary
I supporters at the hotel Cecil. where
/ a luncheon was rendered him in
honor Of his return from Genoa.
Many had expected the premier
70 give his political enemies and
the opposition press a severe tongue
lashing. But there were disap-
pointed. for the premier spoke in
his mildest manner. Some Of those
who listened were firmly convinced
he is now bending all his energies
toward quietly infusing new life
into the old coalition.
Watches His Lines.
It had long been expected that
the coalition. which was horn in
the dark days when domestic poll
tics was adjourned in face OF the
common foe. would disappear SOON
er or later. and that the factions
composing 1t would resume their
former independent identity.
Many times this disinteGration cf
the coalition seemed imminent. II
never seemed so close at this week.
when Lloya Georges Genoa policy
was under such strong FIRE. There
had been a series OF humiliations
for the government, including the
recent vote against an educational
measure which was construed as
vote of no confidence. These set
backs were so discoura sing that
many believed Lloyd George him
the coalition and try to make
sudden realignment Of his forces
that would keep him on top even
though the coalition broke up.
But now he appears to have deter
mined TO fight along with his veteran
/ forces. and is apparently conducting
a recruiting campaign to bring hack
those straying units who have been
looking with longing eyes over to the
enemy lines.
Genoa Work Begun
His reference in the luncheon speech
to the Irish situation-without men
tionfng IL specifically-was regarded
as most significant in this connection.
There are perils near our coasts
and inside the limits Of your islands. 3"
} the premier said. Therefore We must
continue in a spirit OF cooperation
until the last OF these perils has van
ished"
In his mildest manner Lloyd
George declared that he did not pro-
fess to claim the work Of Genoa was
completed.
But It is begun" he declared, and
it is going to so through to the end.
1t is a task that Is vital to humanity
throughout the whole wide world. Eu-
, rope is so convinced Of tho need OF
. peace that the same spirit was aroused
, in the discussion at Genoa. And the
, appeal Genoa made was not to rulers.
but TO those who rule the rulers. and
, It was of such a character that IL will
drive the chariot OF peace 10 its goal
in the end"
] Churchill ConciIistory.
, LONDON, May 2e.-Following a
conversation with the Irish dele
gates, winston Churchill, the
! British colonial secretary, today
. stated he expected TO clear up any
: apparent discrepancies between the
E peace treaty signed with Great
:. Britain and the Collins-De Valera
: agreement.
Neither Mr.. Collins nor Mr.. De
! Valera see anything in their agree
D ment which clashes with the Irish
treaty and / am sure the whole az
+. fair is a misunderstanding which
J will be explained" he said.
: Mr.. Churchill summoned a meet
ing of the British signatories Of the
Irish treaty this evening. and he is
understood to have assured his COLI
leagues that the Collins-De Valera
pact is not intended as violating
the treaty ,o.,v-,.,, ,s,,,