ABOUT A CABLEGRAM.

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 28 January 1933, Page 6

ABOUT A CABLEGRAM.

(To the Editor). ! Sir,—Mv indignation lias been aroused by tlie publication of a cable from _t.be Wellington Irish Republican Association (whoever they may be) to the demogogue do Valera, conveying “on behalf of the Irish race in New Zealand wishes for a sweeping victory.” What right, I ask, have these anonymous fellows to claim to express the opinion of “the Irish race in New Zealand.” If we look Up statistics we find that the Irish born portion of our New Zealand 1 population is but

three per cent, of the whole. If we subtract one sixth of-this, total as representing the Ulster liatives, we have just two and a-half per cent, {or one ’in forty) who actually hail from Erin. If this furtively disloyal association claims also to include the descendants or Irish pioneers they most clownishly i err, for ic will b; found t 4 _iat the great majority of “Irisn-Colonials” (so called) are strongly loyal to the British Constitution under which they enjoy all reasonable privileges and every facility for personal and religious freedom. Apart from the covet insult offered to all the other branches' of our Commonwealth by the objection of th* Irish Republicans to link up with them, there is also the remembrance of the fact that while our relatives were struggling and dying on European battle-fields in the Great \\ av, those fellows or their friends enjoyed immunity' from conscription, and, in fact, seized the opportunity to endearour to overturn the constitution. The result of the establishment of a iepublic in Southern Ireland is not very hard to envisage. Friction will start almost immediately with Northern lieland resulting in subsequent hostilities which, in view of the embittered feeling already existent between these turn States, will he deplorable, in the last degree. However, as nothing mss| ! than a heavv defeat on the field of battle will shake the braggart cona--1 dence of the Republicans, John Bull

will probably stand aside and “let them at it.” Contrary to Southern opinion, the Northern government being much stronger iinancially, and having practically unlimited resources in men and 1 material to draw upon, will speedily obtain the advantage and to preventcomplete subjugation, Britain will be obliged to intervene and establish peace. So the deluded people, who were unsatisfied with the mild anti beneficient regime of Mr. Cosgrave, may find, before this year of 1933 is out, the punishment attached to the harbouring of national hatred, and to the ignoring of the Papal warning regarding “an exaggerated sense of nationality” at a time' when the peace of the world demands amity a fid accord among all" civilised peoples.'- 1 am etc. — W. A. Q.