Britain Eases Stand On Disarming Ira

In an apparently significant shift in British policy, Sir Patrick Mayhew, the Northern Ireland secretary, suggested clearly for the first time Tuesday that the Irish Republican Army might not have to disarm before its representatives were permitted to participate in a new round of peace talks.

Tuesday, Sir Patrick, the highest British official in the North, reached formal agreement with the Irish government that the next step in the peace effort would be the establishment of a disarmament panel and the proposed start of bilateral talks.

He seemed to be proposing a compromise by saying that the disarmament agency might find a way for Sinn Fein and the IRA to give assurances they are permanently committed to non-violence. Such assurances, he indicated, could result in a place for Sinn Fein at the talks.