REMOTE FROM WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 98, 22 October 1940, Page 9

REMOTE FROM WAR

FEELING IN EIRE

"INNOCENT DREAMING OF NEUTRALITY"

CONSULAR ACTIVITY

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) j LONDON, October 20. A special correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph," on his return after a week's stay in Eire, writes: "Though Mr. de Valera is resolutely determined to maintain the neutrality of Eire, there is a constant stream of young and middle-aged men as recruits in his Majesty's Forces but, despite this loyalty, there are still German and Italian legations in Eire. j "Dublin has no black-out, and its lights send out thousands of beacons for U-boats which are intensely active off 1300 miles of coast. Occasionally unidentified planes, believed to be German, fly over Dublin and do not meet with gunfire. "Official figures show that there are 373 German subjects in Eire, compared with 23,000 Britons. The people of Eire seem infinitely remote from the war, obstinately and innocently dreaming of neutrality. There is no rationing. Butter, eggs, and all kinds of food are available in superfluity. "Dublin society, after the indiscriminate bombing of Britain, has tended to give the cold shoulder to the German Minister, Herr Hempel, who has retired from public life. The activities of the German Press attache, Herr Carl Petersen, have periodically drawn the attention of the authorities. He is alleged to have supplied the I.R.A. with money for bomb outrages in England. There is a wireless aerial on the roof of the legation. "Eire's defence preparations include the formation of a local security force, which is most inadequately equipped. One section of 800 has only 150 weapons."