DE VALERA SATISFIED

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 30 January 1933, Page 7

DE VALERA SATISFIED

GIVEN CLEAR MAJORITY IRISH INDEPENDENT VOTE NOT HOSTILITY TO BRITAIN. WISH TO HOLD FRIENDSHIP. (United Press Association—By Electric Tolegrapu Copyright.) Received 12,15 p.m. to-dav. LONDON, Jam. 29. The “Sunday Times” says thg victory of the De Valera Party at the Free State elections has- been a landslide, mitigated by proportional representation. The British system of voting would probably have resulted 1 in the Opposition holding only 30 out of the 153 seats. The Oosgirave- Party lost thousands- of votes owing to- faulty organisation.

•‘I a.m quite satisfied,” said the party leader, Mr E. de Valera, in an interview. “I asked for a clear majority! and have get it. I could not expect more under proportional representation.

“I confidently predict that the vote for an independent-, reasonable, selfsupporting Ireland: will grow. Ireland has struggled for seven centuries to realise tbe ideal of independence. Our victory is .due to the persistence of the national -sentiment, but that does not indicate hostility 7 to Britain. There is a- vast difference between the positive sentiment for freedom and the negative feeling of hate for another people. The majority of Irishmen desire to live on the friendliest of tennis with Britain.” Asked 1 whether he would take the initiative in negotiations Mi* de Valera replied: “I -cannot -say. We always are ready To negotiate. INXeantiime the annuities policy will be unchanged, but L don’t think wo can continue the suspense account. ’ ’ Referring to the Senate, Mr .de Valera said he would like to see a second house of 35 representatives of manufacturers, labour and economic experts. He expressed the opinion that the Dail could he reduced to 120 and so .save expense. Mr de Valera added that a stable Government, which had the confidence of the people, had been iseeurecE by the election, enabling further progress in the economic p-elicy, in which it was hoped to realise decentralisation of industry’ and the establishrrfent of smaller industries complementary, to agriculture. Smaller moderately 7 selfcontained towns should be built, enabling a higher standard of living.

Referring to the recent statement by Lord Graigavon that efforts to create an all-Ireland republic would be futile. Mr de Valera said it was very 7 foolish of Lord Graigavon to think he could prevent the development of a national tendency. “I don’t know the feelings of Unionists and ex-Unionists of Ulster, hut I do know the feelings of the Nationalists, who relatively are in larger proportion in Ulster than are the Unionists l throughout Ireland,” he continued. The removal of the partition: was a ne'caslsarv preliminary to a true, lasting Anglo-Irish peace, but he would have to be of a. -different temper before Tits' Government could make proposals to Ulster. Lord Graigavon, commenting on Mr de Valera’s statement, declared: “What I said, yesterday stands. Northern Ireland is a. part of the Empire and is British to the core.”