INDEPENDENCE FIRST

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18367, 9 April 1934, Page 8

INDEPENDENCE FIRST

FREE STATE POLICY DE VALERA INTERVIEWED ATTITUDE TO DOMINIONS (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Receive April 9,2 p.m.) LONDON, April 8. Mr Do Valera, in a special interview with the Gun-Herald News Service, disclosed the aims and future relationships of the Free State with other members of the British commonwealth. The interviewer asked what could the Dominions expect would ho his Government's attitude towards relationships, say with Australia, on the attainment, of the objective of a complete Irish independence. Mr Do Valera replied: “I am sincerely and genuinely anxious to secure good relationships with nil States in the British commonwealth. 'There is much in common to draw us together in free association. The ties of kindred and common interests merit'recognition. All this, nevertheless, is secondary. Our 'paramount aim is to obtain real independence. Our people have struggled for this for over seven centuries, and will not rest until they are successful. If we are not allowed independence without completely severing relations with the countries of the commonwealth, then we are prepared for that.

Australians and Canadians find a difficulty in understanding our attitude because their past relations with Britain are different from ours. Canada and Australia are prepared to regard Britain as the Mother Country, but. to us Britain has been an invader who centuries ago robbed us of national sovereignty, and has since resisted efforts to regain it. We are not bound to Britain by any ties of filial regard. We regard ourselves as much a mother country as is Britain, That i- proved by the attitude of Irishmen, not only in the United States, but also in Australia and Canada. The fact, that: so many Irishmen are settled in tin* States of the oommonw.ealth is one of my reasons for believing that, once mi' independence is accepted a practical scheme for association and cooperation in matters of common interest, obviously including trade and lefenco, could be worked out.”