IN IRELAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1921, Page 2

IN IRELAND.

AUSTItALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. GENERAL SMUTS’S LETTER. LONDON, Aug. 15. Mr Smuts’ letter has caused a great sensation among the public in Ireland, and keen resentment. The Sinn Fein circles regard its publication as a breach of confidence. • LONDON, August 14. The Publicity Department of the Dail Eireann has issued a statement regarding General Smuts’s letter. It points out that Mr de Valera does not helieve that General Smuts would have authorised the publication of his letter without the Sinn Fein President’s consent which has not been given. The letter should certainly not have been | published in any case, without being accompanied by the full text of the communications which have passed bej tween the English and Irish GovernI meats. Smuts simply summarised his own views, which views were not justified, IRISH PRESS COMMENT. (Received This Day at 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 15 Tlic “Irish Independent” commenting on the settlement proposals, says it would be tragic if the negotiations were broken off. We still -strongly hope there will be a satisfactory settlement. There are three militarists who are anxious to prevent a peaceable settlement and they should not be allowed to have their way. The pro.speet for Ireland is appalling, if intensified warfare is resumed. The “Irish News” says the British J Government planned the publication of Smuts’ letter as a prelude to the publication of all the correspondence, so that Irishmen summoned to Dublin Mansion House this week would be confronted with a problem of enormous difficulty and be compelled immediately to take on. their shoulders the tremendous responsibility of determining the question of peace or war without further negotiations.. FURTHER PRESS COMMENT. (Deceived This Day at 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, August 15. The Belfast ‘selcgrn ph” ,says Government- have been magnanimous to the point of folly. Ireland will be insane to the point of criminality if she rejects the terms. The Sinn Fein proposals, if carried out, would mean an ' immediate civil war. The paper describes the foreign arbitration proposal as an outrageous Insult. The “Northern 'Whig” says the terms ■ offered to the Simt Feiners would bring about the disintegration of the Empire. Britain’s bitterest enemy could not ask for easier methods of bringing about ■ her destruction than what Hon. Lloyd George ’offered. The way de Valera ■ writes about- peace, is sickening. Pers haps he imagines if ho murders a few - hundred more policemen and soldiers 1 that Lloyd George will grant him the right to secede, but the British Gov- : eminent that agreed to secession would . have a short life. , The Cork “Examiner” says it must I 1,0 borne in mind that the terms offered for Southern Ireland are infinitely hotter than what Ulster obtains under t the Partition Act and there seems the . 1 possibility of making even a better settlement than that outlined.