Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1934 “REAL INDEPENDENCE”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 10 April 1934, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1934 “REAL INDEPENDENCE”

AIR ])E VALERA’S latest statement in relation to his country’s political status would not awaken any great degree ot interest in this or other Dominions, but for the fact that the Irish leader evidently desires to know what their attitude would be, if he and his republicans were to gain what lie calls “real independence.” When, more than ten years ago, the Irish Free State ircaty was signed, Southern Ireland was created a Dominion under the Crown, and became as independent as, let ns say, Australia is independent. That is to say, Hie Free State has complete control of its political, fiscal, and governmental. affairs, subject only to the proviso that it remains in the British Commonwealth of Nations whose unity consists in allegiance to the Crown. When, therefore, Air de Valera says, “Our paramount aim is to obtain real independence.,. . . If we are not allowed independence without completely severing relations with the countries of tho Commonwealth, then we are prepared for that step,” two questions arise. The first is what Air do Valera means by independence, and the second is what he would propose to do if his interpretation of tlie word independence should disagree with that of the other nations of tlie British Commonwealth —Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Soutli Africa. We, in New Zealand, consider that politically we are independent of Great Britain. No doubt tlie people of Canada and Australia feel ns we do in this matter, and for the same reason, namely, that we completely manage our own political affairs. It was thought that the Free State gave tlie people of Southern Ireland similar political rights. But apparently Air de Valera’s idea of independence is not exactly the same as ours. Tho difference seems to be that, whereas wo are content to manage our own political affairs under the Crown, he and his Government wish to abolish the Crown. But the Crown is the sole connecting Jink which politically Holds our Commonwealth of Nations together, so that when Air do Valera says he is willing to remain in tlie Commonwealth after lie has abolished allegiance to the Crown, he is proposing to remain in a Commonwealth which, so far as he is concerned, lias ceased to exist. He goes a step further than that. Alter having asserted his country's independence in the manner indicated, and thereby having separated it from the Commonwealth, he would propose “a practical scheme for the association and cooperation (of Southern Ireland with the nations remaining in the Commonwealth) on matters of common interest, obviously including trade and defence. . i

(I Mr de Valera is not satisfied with the degree of independence enjoyed under the Free State Treaty, Jie can take the iiual step of separation irum the Com moil wealth, with the. risks attendant upon such a step; for by doing so lie would necessarily forfeit the privileges which his country enjoys by being a member of the Commonwealth. Not only would he privileges: lie would have to take the risk of the retaliation which the Commonwealth would possibly make, were he to flout it in the manner indicated. What form that retaliation would take cannot be defined. It is evident that the danger of exposing Britain's western coast to invasion from a country which might fall into the hands of an enemy, would be one of the salient factors in the situation which Mr de Valera, and bis lepublicans would have created. Mr do

Valera harps on the ancient grudge, which Britain buried more than a decade ago. The Dominions are not interested in the age-old grievances which Air de Valera seems anxious to recall. But they are profoundly interested in the welfare of tlie nations of the Commonwealth, including Great Britain which is their principal market, and they would resent any action which Mr do Valera ■and his Government might take to weaken the position or the Crown in relation to the Commonwealth, because they realise that it is their allegiance to the Crown, not to the British Government, which gives them their unity.