IRISH FREE STATE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 107, 6 April 1932, Page 7

IRISH FREE STATE.

REPLY TO BRITAIN. THE OATH AND~THE TREATY. LONDON, April 4. It is understood that tho Fianna Fail in its reply to the British Government, while reiterating its determination to abolish tho Oath of Allegiance and to retain the land annuities, lengthily argues that neither constitutes a breach of the Treatry. The reply intimates that the Free State is not averse to holding a conference to discuss the annuities, and again reasserts that tho Oaths concerns the Irish people alone. AUSTRALIA’S CONCERN. CANBERRA, April 5. The Prime Minister, Mr J. A. Lyons, announced to-day that lie had cabled to the President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State, Mr Eamon de Valera, expressing Australia’s deep concern at the situation developing in Ireland, and her earnest hope that the Irish Free State would take .no action which would endanger the existing unify of the British Commonwealth of Nations and the relationship of tho Irish Free State to her sister dominions and to the United Kingdom. He had pointed out that Australia had co-operated with the Irish Free State, her sister Dominions and tho United Kingdom in removing constitutional difficulties, and had hoped as a result of the Imperial Conferences of 1926 and 1930 that a position had been reached where full cooperation of self-governing peoples under a common Crown had been achieved. Therefore, any attempt to weaken the unity of the British Commonwealth of Nations would be profoundly deplored by the people of Australia. INTEREST IN UNITED STATES. NEW YORK, April 4. The New York Times prominently displays on its first page the Australian Government’s Note to the de Valera Government, printing the entire text. The news arrived too late for comment and reaction to-night. It is, however, expected to attract great interest.