Arthur Griffith to Eamon de Valera (Dublin)

A Chara,
The enclosures will acquaint you with what has happened since my last note.¹

In the discussion today on the allegations of Truce breakage we were able to turn the tables on account of the Sligo incident. But the Courts, publicly summoned and opened, are a serious matter on the argument of breach of the Truce. Their real attitude to us is - 'we don't care a rap about your Courts functioning, but if they proceed to function ostentatiously as they are today, we are up against our die-hards in Parliament next Tuesday. They will go for us and force us to action'.

This is absolutely true. The whole die-hard element is at work publicly and privately to smash the Conference over the ostentatious publicity of the Courts.

The Secretariat is preparing good reports, or rather minutes.

We are coming to very close quarters. Our tactics have been successful up to the present, but unless we can get in our Treaty proposals by Monday, the initiative will pass to them. If we cannot have the Ulster clause and the other omitted clauses - or the substance of them by Sunday or Monday morning before 10 o'clock our present tactics must be abandoned, and to an extent, we must fight them on ground of their own choosing.

P.S. Ll.G. is a humorous rascal. He talked today of the vast amount of produce England bought from us. I said 'You don't buy it for love of our beautiful eyes'. Whereupon, with a smile he yielded, saying 'No, on account of your beautiful butter'.