PLEBISCITE IN IRELAND

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21449, 15 April 1935, Page 11

PLEBISCITE IN IRELAND

Mr De Valera Repeats Suggestion HATRED OF ENGLAND DENIED rHit; JIT elictkio Ti'.LF.Gtt Al'K — COl'Y RIGHT.) (Received April 14, 8.20 p.m.) LONDON, April 13. "Wv recent suggestion of a plebiscite to determine whether Ireland is satisfied or would prefer independence was made on the spur of the moment in reply to an assertion that I. hated English domination and influence in Irish politics,'' said Mr E. de Valera in an interview with the "Sunday Dispatch."

■'The Irish neither hate their neighbours nor hate each other. The allegation that 1 hate England is untrue. I hate no nation. On the contrary, my ambition is to see the nations peacefully co-operating," he added. "My considered opiniorr is that a plebiscite would be a genuinely free expression of the people's will throughou'. Ireland, on the understanding that the verdict would be applicable to all Ireland." Asked what the position would be if the verdict favoured an ail-Ire-land Dominion, Mr de Valera replied that it would create an entirely new situation, abolishing the complaint that the relationship between the two countries was forcefully maintained. "Our membership of the British Commonwealth would then be voluntary, btif a section of the people would still firmly believe that complete independence was the only status compatible with national asoirations."

, Although Mr do Valera and his * Ministers believe that n plebiscite ' would result in an overwhelming ' victory for republicanism, their op- ' ponents think that Britain would be r '' wise (o accept the challenge, as a plebiscite, either in the Free State ' or throughout Ireland, would show a ' majority for those wishing to re- ' main in the Empire. CITIZENSHIP BILL • i ;! PASSED ;j I IiKITISH I'EOI'LE NOT TO r.E ALIENS ;i (Received April 14, 8.5 p.m.) DUBLIN, April 13. ) T'"c Citizenship and Aliens Act has , been signed. The Government I simultaneously announced the exemption of subjects of the British I 1 Commonwealth of Nations from the J restrictions of the Aliens Act. j i LLSTER'S LOYALTY TO EMPIRE I.OUi) CKAIGAYON'S SPEECH LONDON, April 12. Answering Mr de Valera's claim that the British Government could get rid of partition, Lord Craigavon (Prime Minister), in a speech at Belfast, said: "Some British Government might possibly possess power to kick us out of Britain but it can never kick us out of the Empire, or into a southern republic, nor would the great heart of the British people stand for such action."