May Become A Foreign Country— Eire Ministers Talk With Empire Leaders

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 October 1948, Page 5

May Become A Foreign Country— Eire Ministers Talk With Empire Leaders

(Rec. 10 a.m.) LONDON, October 17.

British Commonwealth and Eire Ministers met at Chequers, according to an official announcement, to discuss matters of common interest arising from the Eire Government’s declared intention to repeal the External Relations Act. The announcement said that the Commonwealth countries represented had a large number of people of Irish origin among their populations. Those participating were Air Attlee (Britain), Mr St Laurent (Canada), Dr Evatt (Australia), Mr Fraser (New Zealand), the Lord Chancellor (Lord Jowitt), and two Eire representatives —the Minister of External Affairs, Mr Macßride, and the Minister of Finance, Mr McGilligan.

After the Ministers met, at Chequers, Mr McGilligan said: “I have no statement except to say that the meeting was conducted with complete- amity. There is no doubt whatever that the External Relations Act will be repealed.”

Wider Problem

The Daily Mail’s diplomatic correspondent says that behind the talks there is a problem of vaster range which has been occupying the Commonwealth for many months. They have been searching for means of widening and making more flexible the present framework of the Commonwealth.

Apart from Eire, there is the situation of India to be faded. If a scheme can be fashioned to cope with the Eire situation, it might serve as a pilot plan for a new conception of Empire. To the rest of the Commonwealth there is the problem of the reactions of foreign countries, which, if Eire is given Commonwealth advantages without being in the Commonwealth, would probably demand similar treatment in trade and other matters.

Mitigating the Consequences

Reuter’s political correspondent says it is understood the meeting was arranged on the initiative of New Zealand, Australia and Canada, acting through Britain. They, no more than Britain, can view with equanimity a possible change in the status of the Irish minorities in their populations. The conference was primarily concerned with an examination of ways to mitigate the consequences of the Eire Government’s legislation, which, if enacted, would make , Eire a foreign country. All the efforts are believed to be concentrated on finding a way to enable the preservation of Britain s relations with Eire without affecting Britain’s relations with the other members of the Commonwealth. Eire, if she repeals the External Relations Act, will break the link with the Crown. Loose talk has circulated in Eire about remaining in association with the Commonwealth after the repeal of the Act, but, if Eire, became a foreign country to Britain, she would become a foreign country to every country in the Commonwealth. Constitutional Issue

The Commonwealth Prime Ministers will face their most delicate problem on Monday, when in plenary session they will discuss Commonwealth relations, says the Sunday Times. There is no disposition by the British Government to force the constitutional issue and this probably applies also to the Dominions, but.it can hardly be avoided when the conference considers the future of

the collaboration machinery. Difficult issues, however, have not been shirked. The atmosphere has _ been uniformly one of frank and friendly understanding. Experienced Ministers and officials regard the conference in this, respect, as even surpassing previous ones. Informal Talkes “Informal contacts between small groups of Commonwealth leaders over the dinner table, in club armchairs, or on golf courses are producing even more valuable results than was anticipated,” says Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent. “This friendly mingling, since delegates to the Commonwealth Conference disappeared from the public view after their plenary session last Wednesday, has been a highly successful experiment in social diplomacy. “Some of the results of behind-the-scenes talks will emerge' at the next plenary session on Monday. On Tuesday, the Foreign Secretary (Mr Bevin) will complete his survey of world affairs to the delegates, by dealing with the Berlin problem. The delegates are expected to be invited to a meeting of the British Cabinet next Friday. Pakistan’s Views on Peace

Speaking in London, the Prime Minister of Pakistan (Liaquat Ali Khan) said he saw great possibilities for peace and progress in the world through the Commonwealth group of nations. “All the countries in the Commonwealth have the same way of life and similar structure of democracy, representing more than 500,000,000 people,” he said. “They should play a very important part in maintaining peace and helping the world to progress on the right democratic lines.” Liaquat Ali Khan said that the free, frank discussions of the Prime Ministers’ Conference had impressed him. He favoured a regular Commonwealth Conference each year or every two years. He refused to comment on any suggested change in the title or present constitutional structure of the British Commonwealth ,and on the part Pakistan was likely top lay in Commonwealth defence strategy.