MR DE VALERA, MR NASH, AND MR SULLIVAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25737, 8 January 1945, Page 4

MR DE VALERA, MR NASH, AND MR SULLIVAN

Sir Your correspondent “ Interested " doubts whether I will be prepared to tell your readers what I think about nis statement that Irish members have won seven Victoria Crosses In this war and that the number of Irishmen solving in the Allied Nations’ armed forces is just on 250,000. Well, will "Interested tell us how many of the Irish V C. winners came from Northern Ireland and how many from Southern Ireland, and also how many of the 250,000 he refers to came from the respective places named? I am afraid that a native of Southern Ireland who joined the British Army would not dare, on a holiday visit to his homeland, to appear in his uniform.—l am, etc Hush, Hush. Dunedin, January 6.

Sir,—Many loyal New Zealanders will be surprised to bear that Mr D. G. Sullivan, a Minister of the Crown, has paid a visit In Dublin to Mr De Valera, who is opposed to our war effort and whose actions have done much to help our enemies. Many brave seamen have perished, and British airmen arc interned in Eire. These men could have been New Zealanders. Will Mr Sullivan tell Eire about our magnificent war effort, in which wo believe we are fighting tor the rights of the smaller nations and for democracy? He naturally will not refer to Mr Nash’s speech of July 5, 1939; it is convenient to forget the past. But when he arrives in Italy and tells the boys of that great man, De Valera, the champion of democracy, his favourite song, ’’ Isle of Capri,” will not do Perhaps it will be “ Show Me the Way to Go Home.” " Interested ” attempts to show Ireland's war effort, but Eire has no army assisting the Allies. Will Mr Sullivan's expenses come out of the War Expenses Fund, to which loyal New Zealanders are asked to subscribe?—l am, etc.. Vigilant. Dunedin. January 7.