BRITISH AND IRISH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 209, 5 September 1938, Page 8

BRITISH AND IRISH.

AGREEMENT ON DEFENCES.

The British evacuation of the Cork Harbour forts last month was an implicit act of faith and trust in the people of Southern Ireland. When the remaining treaty ports of Bere Haven and Lough Swilly are handed over within the next few months every symbol of British overlordship in Ireland, with the exception, of the six northern counties, will have disappeared. Viewed purely from a military aspect, the value of the treaty port defences has declined considerably in recent years with the development of aerial warfare, but that is beside the point. Their surrender iby Britain at this juncture was a gesture to win Irish friendship, but it will do much to cement the spirit of goodwill and confidence growing between the countries. Outside Events. Apart from influences operating in Britain and Ireland for a closer accord between the two countries, the European situation to-day forced both Mr. Xeville Chamberlain, British Prime Minister, and Mr. Eamon de Valera, Irish Prime Minister, to realise the urgency of perfecting mutual defence plans. Ireland now will modernise the defences of the treaty ports at a heavy cost to Irish taxpayers, but Mr. <le Valera has told the people that freedom costs money and they must be prepared to pay for it. British warships sailed out of Coba (Queenstown) on July 15. They will leave Bere Haven and Lough Swilly before the end of this year, but Ireland still will count upon the British Xavy to defend these shores in a national emergency in Britain's own interests. Taking over the treaty ports by Ireland is but the first step toward perfecting a mutual defence scheme for Britain and Ireland. With the growth of aerial bombing fleets in Europe, many within easy striking distance of theee shoree, neither Ireland nor Britain can afford to ignore the need for a defence plan in which the creation of adequate, air base* here with fleets of modern 'planes must form a part. Realist de Valera. j Mr. de Valera has shown himself a practical realist in assessing the war dangers that might threaten Ireland. With Ireland ae one j of Britain's main sources of food supply, he admits it would virtually be impossible for thie country to -preserve neutrality while Britain ie at war. Consequently he is moving to enable Ireland to defend her soil. Out of this the move toward mutual protection of theee islands has grown for the first time. and the relationship between the people of Ireland and Britain in which the shadow of force dominated the 1021 treaty is absent. Twenty years ago extremist Republicans talked of creating an isolated and self-sufficient Irish r%mblic, but now that is dead. The forces today urging Britain and Ireland closer in their own defence seem to have eubmerged the separatist ideal.