APPEAL TO DE VALERA.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1921, Page 5

APPEAL TO DE VALERA.

URGED TO ACCEPT OFFER. GENERAL SMUTS' LETTER. LESSON OF SOUTH AFRICA. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Received August 14, 11.5 p.m. London, August 14. General Smuts, before sailing for jhome, wrote to De Valera as follows: i "I have done my best to arrange a meeti ing between you and Sir James Craig ' and while he is willing to meet you in I conference with Mr. Lloyd George he f still remains unwilling to meet you in J his absence. Nothing I was able to do or say moved him from that attitude. I If you request a meeting he will rep\v i saying that Ulster will not be moved from the constitutional position she occupies under the existing legislation; she Is satisfied with her present status and will not agree to any change. On the other hand, in your letter you insist on Ulster coming into a united Ireland constitution and that until that is done no further progress can be made. There is therefore an impasse, which I do not know how to get over. ‘‘Both you and Sir James Craig are equally immovable forces, and as the solution of the problem is out of the question both on yours and his promises the process of arriving at an agreement will therefore take time. My conviction is that for the present no solution based on Ulster’s entering an Irish State can succeed; any solution on those lines will be foredoomed to failure. I believe it would be in Ulster's interest to come in and that the force of the community over a period of years would prove compelling, but at present an Irish settlement is only possible if Ulster is left alone. My strong advice to you is to leave her alone and concentrate on a constitution for the remaining countries and by the successful running of an Irish State eventually bring Ulster in. “Ireland is travelling the same painful road as South Africa, but with wisdom and moderation she is destined to achieve success and freedom, which will lead inevitably to unity. As to that freedom you are called to choose between two alternatives. You say a republic is the true expression of national self-determination. The British Prime Minister made an offer of another form of freedom on a Dominion status, which is working with complete success in other parts of the British league. What is good for these ought to be good enough for Ireland. For Irishmen to say to the world that they will not be satisfied with a Dominion status would be to alienate that sympathy whiea has been the mainstay of the Irish cause.

“The Prime Minister offers complete Dominion status to twenty-six counties, subject to certain strategic safeguards, which you are asked to agree to voluntarily as a free Dominion, and which we South Africans agreed to. To my mind, such an offer by the Prime Minister, who, unlike his predecessor, is in a position to deliver the goods, is an event of unique importance. It is far more than was offered Transvaal and Orange State; they accepted a far less generous offer and from it improved their position until South Africa became a happy, contented and completely free country. I hope you will become a sister Dominion in the great circle of equal States, who will stand beside you should you need help and protect your new rights as if they were their own, who would view any invasion or violation of your status as if it were their own, ana who would give you most effective guarantees against any arbitrary interference by the British Government. ‘T am satisfied that from a constitutional point of view a settlement of the Irish question is now possible and practicable, It is the human difficulty which remains; it is now mostly a human problem. It would be the gravest reflection on our statesmanship if this auspicious moment was to be allowed to pass. You and your friends have a unique opportunity, such as Parnell and his predecessors never had, to secure a lasting peace. I pray to God you may be wisely guided and that peace will be concluded before the tempers change and another generation of strife ensues.”— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.