THE THREAT TO IRELAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24337, 29 June 1940, Page 13

THE THREAT TO IRELAND

TO THE EDITOR

Sir, —Your sub-leader in to-day's Daily Times dealing with the above matter is timely, in view of the experience of Belgium, Holland and Denmark. If Ireland leaves any matter in connection with their defence unattended to, in the hope that their neutrality may be respected by Germany, it would be nothing short of criminal. To the suggestion that a section of Great Britain's armed forces should be drafted to Ireland in case of any surprise landing of Germans I should imagine that Mr de Valera would raise no serious objection. There is one matter in your article to which I wish to refer. You mention that members of the I.R.A. in Eire may play the roll of a fifth column. It is a recognised axiom that the way to deal with any trouble is to remove the cause of that trouble. Consequently, remove the partition and all that it implies, and the activities of the I.R.A. will disappear overnight. In all seriousness I state that this is a matter that the British Government in its own interest and also as a means of securing the good wishes and cooperation of all Ireland, cannot neglect The latest partition of Poland is another sad chapter in the history of that unhappy country. Still >it is useless trying to remove the mote in a neighbour's eye while the beam remains in our own. We cannot afford to be a house divided while we are engaged in the grim struggle with Nazi-ism.—l am. etc.fc "lstcrman. Waimate. June 27