REPLY TO BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 163, 6 April 1932, Page 9

REPLY TO BRITAIN

Fianna Fail Reiterates Determination ABOLITION OF OATH B.r Telegraph—Preee Assn.—Copyright. (Rec. April 5, 7 p.m.) London, April 4. It is understood that the Fianna Fall in its reply to the British Government, while reiterating its determination to abolish the Oath of Allegiance and to retain land annuities, lengthily argues that neither constitutes a breach of the treaty. The reply -intimates that the Free State is not averse to holding a conference to discuss the annuities and again reasserts, that the Oath concerns the Irish people alone. * FINAL DRAFT APPROVED Delivery in London Ixuidon. April 4. The Free State Cabinet sat. until 11 p.m., when it was officially announced that the final draft of the reply to the British Government on the Oath issue bad been approved unanimously. , j „ The reply will be forwarded to Mr. J. H. Thomas, Dominions Secretary, to-morrow.

UNITY OF EMPIRE Australia’s Deep Concern NOTE TO DE VALERA (Rec. April 5, 8.45 pm.; Canberra, April 5. The Prime Minister, Mr.,J. A, Lyons, announced to-day that he had cabled to the President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State, Mr. E. de Valera, expressing Australia’s deep concern at the situation developing in Ireland, and her earnest hope that the Irish Free State would take no action which would endanger the existing unity of the British Commonwealth of Nations and the relationship of the Irish Free State to her sister dominions and to the United Kingdom. He had pointed out that Australia had cooperated with the Irish Free State, her sifter dominions and the United Kingdom in removing constitutional difficulties. and had hoped as a result of the Imperial Conferences of 1926 and 1930 that a position had been reached where full co-operation of self-governing peoples under a common Crown had been achieved. Therefore any attempt to weaken the unity of the British Commonwealth of Nations would be profoundly deplored by the people of Australia. INTEREST IN AMERICA (Rec. April 5, 9 p.m.) New York, April 4. The “New York Times” prominently displays on its first page the Australian Government's note to the De Valera Government, printing the entire text. The news arrived too late for comment and reaction-to-night. It is however, expected to attract great interest.