EIRE AS REPUBLIC

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 July 1945, Page 5

EIRE AS REPUBLIC

MR. DE VALERA’S CLAIM / 7 ■ COMMONWEALTH ASSOCIATION LONDON, July 18. “Eire has been a republic from December 29, 1937, when the new Constitution came into operation,” said the Prime Minister of Eire (Mr E. de Valera) in a speech in the Dail. He cited Article 5, which defined the State as “sovereign, independent, and democratic,” and added: “A State whose institutions correspond with these articles is demonstrably a republic.” Mr de Valera then quoted the definitions of “republic” from new standard dictionaries, including the Encyclopaedia Britannica. “If anyone still persists in maintaining that our State is not a republic I cannot argue with him, or we have not a commmon language,” he said. “It is sometimes argued that our State is a monarchy because of the External Relations Act, 1938. I do not think any constitutional lawyer of repute would maintain such a thesis. By this act, so long as we are associated with Australia, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, and South Africa, so long as the King is recognised by these nations as the symbol of co-operation and continues to act on behalf of each of those (on the advice of the several Governments of them) for the purposes of the appointment of diplomatic and consular representatives and the conclusion of international agreements, the King is so recognised, permitted, and authorsed to act on our behalf as and when advised by the Government. A 2 “The External Relations Act is a simple statute repealable by the Legislature, and is not a fundamental law. As the law it is null and void in anv extent whatever in which it conflicts with our fundamental law—the Constitution. The act is a simple enabling act to permit the carrying out of the State’s external policy in the field of international, relations, as indicated and provided in Article 29 of the Constitution, and nothing more. “The position, as I conceive it, is that we are an independent republic associated as a matter of external policy with the States of the British Commonwealth. To mark this association we avail ourselves of the procedure of the External Relations Act. wherebv the' King is recognised by the States of tne British Commonwealth and acts for us, under advice, in certain specified matters in the field of our external relations.". The public and distinguished strangers’ galleries were crowded during Mr de Valera’s speech. KING AT BELFAST. (Rec. 11.35 a.m.) LONDON, July 18. Cheering crowds in Belfast lined the processional route to see the King and Queen and Princess Elizabeth drive to Parliament. Ulster police late last night checked identity cards in Belfast streets and maintained a strict watch along the route. The King, so as not to disappoint shipyard workers, ordered that the whole programme should be caried out as if he had arrived bv sea as originally planned.' The King, speaking at the opening of Parliament, from which the 10 Nationalist members were absent, paid a tribute to the country’s effort throughout the war. WORKERS’ ENTHUSIASM (Recd. Noon). LONDON, July 18. Five thousand Ulster war-workers mobbed Their Majesties and Princess Elizabeth at a garden party at Belfast. Loudspeakers blared instructions to the people to spread about the lawns but they clustered around the King and Queen overturning the benches and chairs. Their Majesties finally withdrew to the Royal enclosure where about fifty men and women from aircraft, and munition factories were presented to them. The King and Queen also walked round behind the rope barrier, shook hands and talked with war-workers to the accompaniment of continual cheers.