New-York tribune., 1922-03-30
ondonGatheringDevo,es
Day TO Britain's Offer
of Military to Restore
Peace on Ulster Front
Committees Hold
Separate Meetings
Other Issues Ignored by
Craig and Collins; May
Reach Decision TODAY

From Tie Tribt.c's Eoopooe Foea.
tco7Nright 49, Nrv Yors TT. bune 1uc1
LONDON. March 29.-In the first
real all-lrish conference since 1911. rep
resentatives OF Ulster and tho Free
/ State met members of the British GOV
ernment here to-day in al effort TO
| find some way to stabilize condi ons in
ireland. The entire day was over
! to discussions Of military II os to
put down disorderly clements and
pacfy Belfast and the Ulster frontier.
! No attempt was made to take up he
outstanding differences between
! north and south or TO map out pi
I for the solution Of the fundamei
! problems.
The British government handed to
the delegates series of proposals
| which arc understood to follow the
| general line suggested by Winston
| Churchill, Colonial Secretary, in his
address to the House of Commons,
: Monday, when he EXPRESSED belief that
relief could be best obtained BY the
establishment of martial law in part
of Belfast and the use Of British
troops 10 patrol the frontier
Premier in Touch by Phone
Representing the British government
! in the conferences we're Churchill,
Lord Birkenhcad. the Lord Chanccllor
/ Sir Laming Worth ington- Evans, Secre-
tary Of State for War; Sir 1Iamar
| Greenwood, Chief Secretary for Ire
land, and Niscount Peel Secretary for
India. Premier Lloyd George passed
the day at his country home at Chcq-
! ucrs Court, but was in constant touch
by telephone with Churchill
Representing the Free State prov-
sional. government were Michael Col
! Inns, chairman of the Cabinet; Arthur
Griffith. president of the Dali Eireann.
/ Eamon j. Duggan, Kelvin O'Higgins and
Hugh Kennedy. For Ulster were Pre-
Londonderry and Edward NJ Archdalc,
chairman of the standing committee of
the Ulster Council.
An official statement given out at
the Colonial Office after the days ses-
sions said that the full conference at
its initial meeting put the leading ne
gotiations into the hands of commit
tee composed Of Churchill Worthing-
| ton Evans, Craig, Collins, Griffith and
Lord Londonderry. The proposals made
by the British government will be con-
sidered separately overnight by the
| two Irish delegations, and the commit
tee of SIX Will reasSemble tomorrow
morning to pursue the discussion.
Later a full meeting of all the dele
gates may be held.
Because of the inclusion Of the Sec
| retary for War on the committee of
SIX, it is believed that chief considera-
tion at first is to be given to military
| measures designed to keep the oppos-
ing factions in Ireland apart. The
British delegates would have preferred
to leave responsibility for settlement
Of border troubles to the Irishmen,
and strong efforts are still to be made
in this direction, but in view of the
hostility of Sir James Craig and Col
Inns it is doubted here whether the
British government can remove the
obstacles to Irish unity without taking
the part Of mediator.
Mutineers in Both Camps
The issues involved in the confer
ence are grave, and there was consid-
Neither Sir James nor Collins is un-
disputed master in his own house. The
mutiny in the ranks of the Sim Fein
army is Collins's chief worry and, al
though the Ulster Premier has better
control of things at home, he is not
able to stop sectarian crimes in Belfast,
carry out his promise to reinstate
Catholic workers in northern industries S
or maintain peace on the frontiers.
Lord Birkenhead left the conference
early to go to the House of Lords to
hear Lord Carson's reply to the Lord
Chancellor's criticism Of him speaking
on political subjects while holding a
ind, ,ro hin