THE IRISH PROBLEM.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 September 1921, Page 3

THE IRISH PROBLEM.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LONDON, Soptctnber 2 Belfast is normal. Military guarts xvith fixed bayonets patrolled the atroots during the morning two t'(» a assaulted wnen proceeding Two lioys have suceumlied. Tin deal roll is eighteen. BRITISH CABINKT CONVENEDLONDON, Septembei 2. Mr Lloyd George convened I Scotland he they FUNERALS IN BELFAST • LONDON, Septembei There has been a nC^ e!fftst shooting in I»rts »<*“'^. cycr wns of soldiers easily suppressed the disturbances. ' Nine of the victims of llots w ore buried *>-dny m Relfast. CABINET AIEETS in SCOTLAND. (Received This Day nt 8 n.m.) LONDON. September S. General Mncready crossed from Dublin by a destroyer and T ™ t Tlovd George at Gnirloeli. Cabinet Sts in Inverness Town Hall on AVec - nesdav. Such a meeting in Scotland i. without precedent. The Premier s ( - to,- onnosed bis return to London. and the fact that the hulk of th ‘“ c M '™ St t 7.0 were already in Scotland led to he decision to meet there Several Alimstrs who arc abroad are now hastening to Inverness DE VALERA’S REPLY DEFIANT. (Received This Day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, September 4. Pessimism is replacing _ the previous optimism regarding Do A ' dua , ' The “Sunday Times’ states the tone of the letter is defiant. I» contains proposals which convinced Hon. Linen George that further negotiations wm.lu be a waste of time. BE VALERA’S REPLY. LONDON. Sept. -L Do Valera’s reply states the British proposals of July “(hi. were an tinn to enter the Bri,.sh ( mummiwc.il with a status definitely interior to those free States or ( amnia Austi. h. South Africa and New Zealand. > rejection is irrevocahlc. Himhi.' van interpret as dictating read as dictating separation and ic.nl thereto of force, wliicn mu-t K aside. The respective plcnipnt. mm must meet untraniinellci) by any <;oml.lion. AYc proposed a principle ol gu. - ernment hy consent ol the ’ On this basis we arc icrnh to .11 plenipotentiaries.

I)E VALERA’S REPLY. (Received This Day at 10.15 »•'"•) LONDON, September 4. Downing Street has issued De J«era’s reply to Lloyd George s lettc. »t the t-weiitv-fixth August. The -1 . ; states w e too litre convinced 11 ,s f tial that some definite .mined,at- to-m-ess should he made towards a, lias on which further negotiations can u.--fully proceed and recognise „f a mere exchange of argumontat, notes I shall therefore refrain limn commenting upon the fallacious icf<iences in vonr last communication present is the reality with Lave to deal. The conditions of to-da> are resultant of the past. Aceurntily summing it up and giving thc smipkst data of the problem, these data hi* firstlv. the people of Ireland ate ■ knowledging no voluntary l nton "it! Stain "and eh.iming a natural right to choose freely fot t « - selves the path they shall taU realise the national destiny have by an overwhelming majority declared f>>> independence and set UP a ropuWit- oml more than once confirmed l, ' l ' ; 1),. Valera’s letter ondlv. Britain on the other band acts as though Ireland was 1,11 1 l, v n contract union Hint tnib.uh m 1 • ration. The British Government. and Parliament claim to rule and 1 gisl.it for Ireland, even to the point of 1« '• turning Irish territory against tla will of the Irish people, anil l llnjaml casting into orison every Ins. citizen who refuses allegiance on nroiM»sal« of vonr Government of tn twentieth July. hawed on the latter promises. We rejected the proposal as they arc not an invitation to I.cl. n<t to enter a free and willing partnership with free nations of the llritisl, Commonwealth. They wee an to enter in the guise and under com! - tiotis which determine a status decidedly inferior to those of free states. De Valera (biitiiiued that C ana 1- • Australia. South Africa and New /*»- land are all guaranteed against domination .hy a major state not only by• «■ nowlcdged constitutional rights "1 h will give them an equality of status with Britain and absolute freedom from control of British Parliament, hut by the thousands of miles that sepaiahthem from Britain. Tdehind. would have guarantees neither of distance not rjirlit The conditions would divide liei into two artificial states, each destructive of the other’s influence of any common council, and both subject to military, naval and control l.v the British Government. Vonr Government insists on viewing the main historical geographical facts from your standpoint. ’ ' De Valera concluded:—, Ve no convinced ours is n true end just interpretation, and are willing that an, impartial arbitrator should judge, hut von refuse this, and threaten to‘give effect to your views hy force. Our reply must he that if you adopt that course, we can only resist. Force will not solve the problem if victory is not won on the side of justice. The problem that faces us will face our successors. Threats I must he set aside, from the beginning as I well as during the actual course of negotiations. Respective plenipotentiaries must meet untramelled hy any conditions hnt sane facts themselves and must he prepared to reconcile subsequent differences to some guiding principle on which there is a common agreement. We have proposed a principle of Government by consent of the governed. We do not mean this as n mere phrase. Tt is a simple expression of the test to which any proposed solution must respond if it proved adequate, and cani fie used as a criterion for details as well as the whole that you claim it is peculiarly acceptable to you. On this basis and this only, we see the hope of reconciling the considerations which must govern the attitude of -Britain’s representatives with considerations which must govern the attitude of Ireland’s representatives and on tin's basis we are ready at once to appoint plenipotentiaries.

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