NEWS OF THE WEEK.
WE have dealt elsewhere with the new situation that has arisen out of Mr. Churchill's overtures and their recep- tion by the Unionists, and we have dealt with it on the assump- tion that the various leaders concerned mean business and are not merely manoeuvring to put each other in the wrong. If this view is right, then it is very difficult to see how the negotiations can fail. Still, we are not yet out of the wood, and the "con- versations" may bring fresh friction instead of peace. The essential thing is that the negotiators should remember that their object is the avoidance of civil war. This means, on the one hand, that they must be content with a second, or even third or fourth best in their Constitution-making and must be prepared for great sacrifices; and, on the other hand, that they must not agree to any settlement which will still leave the seeds of civil war undestroyed. To be specific, the area which is to be excluded must be the homogeneous Protestant Ulster and not merely a portion of that area. Inadequate Exclusion, instead of bringing peace, would pro- claim war.
