26 MAY 1917, Page 2

Mr. William O'Brien, while pronouncing partition to be dead-, and

condemning its revival as an intolerable insult, welcomed the alternative scheme, which if it had been adopted six or seven. years ego would have almost certainly led to a happy settlement For this he blamed the late Home Rule Government and their Irish supporters. As for the details, he was strongly opposed to a large Convention, and preferred a conference of a small number of -broad-minded Irishmen in Ireland, not at all necessarily composed of leaders of any existing party or section.