Mr. Lloyd George's reply to Mr. De Valera, to which
we have already referred, was dated September 7th, and was sent off immediately after the meeting of the Cabinet last week at Inverness. Mr. Lloyd George said that the principle " government by consent of the governed " was the foundation of British Constitutional development, but that the Government could not accept as a basis of conference any interpretation of that principle which involved the setting up of a republic. If the principle were thus applied the fabrio of every democratic state would be undermined and the civilized world would be "driven back into tribalism." He added that if it were clearly understood that a republic was impossible all other questions could be discussed at a conference. Th3 Government must ask for a definite decision, as the correspond- ence had lasted long enough.
