"WORK WONDERS."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 221, 19 September 1938, Page 11

"WORK WONDERS."

UNITY IN IRELAND. INTERESTS OF EMPIRE. BRITAIN HOLDS THE KEY. "All the outstanding differences between Ireland and Great Britain have been disposed of and the only question now remaining is that of a United Ireland," said Mr. James M. Dillon, deputy-chairman of the United Ireland party, on his arrival by the Monterey to-day, en route from Sydney to the United States. He was a delegate from Ireland to the Second British Commonwealth Relations Conference.

Complete unity, he continued, appeared to be within measurable distance of being achieved. One of the most important factors contributing to a solution would be an explicit statement by the British Government that it would wel-

come the end of partition and that it considered unification to be in the best interests of the Empire. If that were made perfectly clear the matter could be left to the Irish in Ireland to settle peacefully among themselves. Treatment of Protestants. A united Ireland would be a much more stable member of the Commonwealth than a divided Ireland could ever be, he continued. There might be fears that jf the Protestants of Xorthern Ireland were absorbed they would be victimised, but he stated definitely that, far from such fears being justified, the Catholic majority in Ireland would be more solicitous to protect the right* and interests of a Protestant minority than of their own members. In support of this statement he pointed out that Protestants in the Free State held numerous positions in the civil service, and several judgeships in the High Court. Xot least, President Hyde, of Eire, was a Protestant. Scattered all over the world were 40.000.000 Irish or people of Irish extraction, stated Mr. Dillort. Of the3e 'probably about 20,000.000 were in the 'United States. One-quarter of the population of Australia was of Irish extraction and one-seventh of the population of Xew Zealand. Only 4.000,000 of the total were in Ireland itself. Love of Ireland. Thus a settlement of differences ia Ireland was of far-reaching imi>ortanoe, and would produce favourable reaction* in every corner of the Empire, he declared. The love of Ireland was strong with all who had left the country and with their children and grandchildren. At the present time there wa< a deepjrooiod conviction that England \va* j standing in the way of unity and tfiM I feeling affected Empire sentiment. To | heal the wounds it was uece-sary that all grievances ho removed and complete I friendship established. ! "I cannot but think that the disseiniI nation of news that Ireland was free, | united and happy would work wonders for the welfare of the Commonwealth," concluded Mr. Dillon.