STILL A REPUBLIC.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 5 January 1928, Page 2

STILL A REPUBLIC.

DE VALERA’S AMBITION

NOT SATISFIED YET,

LONDON, Doc. 9. Mr Do Valera, leader of the Irish Republicans, insists that lio -and his party -will continue their struggle for the complete severance of the Irish Free State from the British Commonwealth of Nations. . . “We have failed so far,” be saul m an interview with the London correspondent of the “Telegraaf,” of Amsterdam, “and we have to face the facts as we find them. This does not imply that we accept or agree with those facts. We are simply taking a realistic view of the situation, which means that we -shall make use of every opportunity to alter it and to further our object.” “Does that mean,” ho was asked, “that you will not rest until you have accomplished the- establishment of an Irish Republic outside the British commonwealth? ’ ’

“Yes.” replied Mr do Valera, “although -to mo the form of self-govern-ment is not in itself so vital a question as the circumstance that it corresponds to the real wishes of the Irish people. What we strive after is, to use a Wilsonian -expression, the free self-deter-mination of our people and what this will finally crystallise in the majority will decide.”

He refused to believe that the present status- would ever secure general consent, and, when asked to outline his own policy, said: “We would put Ireland —Ireland’s rights and Ireland’s interests —first. The present Government, by making themselves a party to the treaty, have done the opposite. “Ireland has remained the 'big farm for England. Is it not perfectly absurd that we should have tens of thousands of unemployed and that other tens of thousands are year by year leaving our shores, emigrating to overseas countries for want of work, when a whole nation, rich in natural resources, is awaiting reconstruction? “Ireland was once a wheat exporting country. Now it imports nearly £7,000,000 worth of wheat and flour, and this while we have an adverse trade balance. To start with, we should put -an embargo on’imported flour, and only let it in under -license until our flour mills are working at full capacity. Then measures would be taken for cultivating our own wheat. “The same is true of one-half of our other imports. Within seven years we would not require to import these necessaries.”