24 SEPTEMBER 1921, Page 1

On Monday Mr. Lloyd George telegraphed that Mr. De Valera's

letter had not modified the claim that the Irish delegates should be regarded as the representatives of " a sovereign and independent State." Mr. Lloyd George called Mr. De Valera's attention to the fact that when they had conversed together in London in July, no such condition had been made in advance. Mr. De Valera had then accepted the invitation to come as " the chosen leader of the great majority in Southern Ireland." Mr. Lloyd George ended by declaring that unless the claim to inde- pendence and sovereignty was withdrawn a conference would be impossible.