THE FUTURE OF IRELAND

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22304, 19 January 1938, Page 9

THE FUTURE OF IRELAND

♦ TALKS OPENED IN LONDON BRITISH ANSWER TO EIRE PROPOSALS (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATIONC'OPYKIG FIT.) (Received January 18. 2 p.m.) LONDON, January 17. The British and Irish talks commenced at 2.30 this afternoon in the Cabinet room at No. 10 Downing Street. Mr de Valera was accorded an enthusiastic reception as he left his hotel. The police, after their experience at Euston station, took no chances, and crowds were kept out of Downing Street by mounted police. The crowd lined both sides of Whitehall and attempted to surge out into the road as Mr de Valera’s car appeared. They broke the cordon, but the police forced them back. Many Irish sympathisers,' wearing national colours, cheered frantically. Sir Basil Brooke, Minister for Agriculture in Ulster, said: “We have received definite assurances from the British Government, and have no reason to believe they will let us down.” It is understood that in the course oC a four hours’ discussion between the Eire delegation and the United Kingdom Ministers the question of partition was raised by Mr de Valera. who made it clear that the restoration of the unity of treaties was, in his view, an essential foundation for the establishment of real understanding and friendship between the people of Great Britain and Eire. From the United Kingdom side the point was made that there could be no alterations in the relations between Eire and Northern Ireland which had not the consent of the latter. The meeting was adjourned soon after 6.30 p.m. and will be resumed at noon to-morrow. In addition to the principal Ministers on the Irish and British sides, the Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence (Sir Thomas Inskip), the President of the Board of Trade (Mr Oliver Stanley), and the Minister for Agriculture (Mr W. S. Morrison) participated in to-day's discussions.