IN IRELAND

Hokitika Guardian, 28 April 1938, Page 5

IN IRELAND

DE VALERA

REFERS TO AGREEMENT.

(United Press Association —By Electric T elegra ph—Oopyr i gh t)

(Received this day at 12 noon). LONDON, April 27

Mr de Valera in the Dail, said : “Tt is unnecessary for me to stress tile importance of the Anglo-Eire agreement from the viewpoint of Irish sovereignty. 1 believe it is only a matter of time before somebody from this bench will be able to announce that Ireland has become a completely independent sovereign state. I would not he asking approval if I thought the agreement was ah obstacle to it.”

1)E VALERA. (Received this day at 1.0 p.m.). LONDON, April 27 Mr Eamon do Valera added tint if they looked at the map of Europe they would see why a strong Britain an as necessary not to be open to attack with Eire as a backdoor. There tvas a time Avhen he, like many Irishmen, wished Ireland Avere five hundred miles farther out in the Atlantic. No one to-day wished the positions of the islands to be changed. The present British Government wished it to be knoAvn because they recognised the value of a free independent Ireland.