BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18895, 18 December 1924, Page 11

BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

THE TREATY OF 1921. REGISTRATION WITH LEAGUE. FREE STATE EFFORT OPPOSED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, (Received 10.6 p.m.) A. and N.Z.—Reuter. LONDON. Dec. 16. A message from Genev* states that the secretariat of the League of Nations has issued the text of the letter it received from the British Foreign Office on November 27 in connection with the registration of the treaty between Britain and Ireland on December, 1921, at the Free State Government's request. The letter reiterates that the British Government has consistently held that neither the covenant nor any of the conventions concluded under the League's auspices are intended to govern interEmpire relations. Therefore it considers that Article 18 of the covenant docs not apply to Britain's agreement with Ireland.

The Dublin correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says the Free State Government has issued a statement pointing out that it was the Free State's duty as a member of the League of Nations to register the treaty. Failure to do so would liavo meant a repudiation of tho covenant-.

The Dublin correspondent of the Daily Express says that some quarters regard tho British action as a move to prevent an appeal to the League on tho boundary question.