EIRE REPUBLIC’S RELATIONS WITH COMMONWEALTH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22818, 13 December 1948, Page 5

EIRE REPUBLIC’S RELATIONS WITH COMMONWEALTH

LONDON, Dec. 10

The Eire Senate fixed the committee stage of the Republic of Ireland Bill for Wednesday, December 15, after the bill was read a second time without a division. , _ . .. Professor W. B. Stanford, of Trinity College, Dublin, supporting the bill, said there had been scrupulous _ fairness toward the Protestant, minority in Eire by successive Governments of the last 25 years. Professor Stanford asked for the practical strengthening of the “golden links” with the Commonwealth of Nations and hoped that the Eire Republic would grow to full constitutional relationship with the Commonwealth. Colonel G. Ryan, of Tipperary, said the establishment of the Republic need not cause civil war with Northern Ireland, because nobody in the south wanted to create trouble of that kind. , Mr. E. A. Maguire, of Dublin, believed that Eire was fully entitled to a Republic and, at the same time, the Commonwealth privileges. Mr. S. Mcßride, Minister of External Affairs, concluding the debate, said the Government would do everything possible to develop the closest economic co-operation with the Commonwealth, but there could be no question of a military alliance while partition lasted.