IRISHMAN’S PLEA

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13243, 20 January 1941, Page 3

IRISHMAN’S PLEA

GIVE BRITAIN AID Dublin, Jan. 17. U was announced in the Dail that nine Irish ships had been sunk off the Irish coast since the outbreak of war. Mr de Valera has received the following cable: —“Irishmen in Malaya most heartily endorse the views expressed by he North American Irish and implore you to abandon neutrality and take our rightful plac« alongside the British Commonwealth of Nations immediately in order to crush Hitlerism and all it stands for. Irishmen throughout the world outside Eire are fighting for and helping Britain. So for the love of Eire go to it.” The Eire Minister of Supply, Mr Sean Lemass, answering criticism in the Dail about shortages' of supplies, warned members that if necessary all supplies would be rationed, hut if waste were avoided and current experiments were successful there would be no need to ration bread, tea and other foodstuffs.

Mr Lemass gave an assurance that Eire’s wheat supplies were sufficient for six months, but said Eire must increase food production “to save the population from want or starvation.” The Government was exploring the possibility of purchasing a ship to bring in essential commodities. Greece’s entry into the war Avas a decisive factor in the Avheat situation, because Eire had been almost entirely using Greek ships for the importation of grain. Tea importers, said Mr Lemass, had assured him there was no cause for anxiety. The petrol position Avas easier.