OATH QUESTION

Southland Times, Issue 21671, 6 April 1932, Page 5

OATH QUESTION

FREE STATE’S REPLY CABINET MAY INSIST OxN ABOLITION ONLY IRISH .CONCERNED (United Press Asan.—By Telegraph—Copyright.) London, April 4. The Free State Cabinet sat until 11 p.m. It was officially announced that the final draft of the reply had been approved unanimously and is being forwarded to Mr J. H. Thomas to-morrow. It is understood that thtf Fianna Fail’s reply, while reiterating its determination to abolish the oath and retain annuities, argues at length that neither constitutes a breach of the treaty, and intimates that the Free State Is not averse to holding a conference to discuss annuities. It is reasserted that the oath concerns the Irish people alone. The Republican members of the Irish Free State Dail on August 12, 1927, in order that they might take their seats in the House, agreed to take the oath of allegiance contained in Article 17 of the Constitution, which was inserted in fulfilment of the provisions of the treaty with Britain signed in December, 1921. It read as follows; “I do solemnly swear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the Irish Free State us by law established, and that I will be faithful to his Majesty King George V., his heirs and successors by law, in virture of the common citizenship of Ireland with Great Britain and her adherence to and membership of the group of nations forming the British Commonwealth of Nations.” Prior to the acceptance of this oath by the Republicans, their leader, Mr de Valera, had drafted the following oath, which he declared himself willing to take: 'T do swear .to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of Ireland, and the Treaty of Association of Ireland with the British Commonwealth of Nations, and to recognize the King of Great Britain as the head of the associated States.” Tliis alternative oath became famous as "Document No. 2.” For all practical purposes it was considered to be identical in effect with that incorporated in the treaty which Messrs Michael Collins and Arthur Griffiths signed in London as plenipotentiaries. When the oath now contained in the Constitution was introduced, Mr W. T. Cosgrave, then President of the Dail, pointed out that it embodied a very large concession in comparison with the oaths imposed in other dominions. He said the oath in South Africa was as follows: "I do swear that I will be faithful to and bear true allegiance to his Majesty the King, his heirs and successors according to the law, so help me God.” In Canada the oath was: “I do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to his Majesty.”

AUSTRALIA’S APPEAL NEED FOR CO-OPERATION. CONCERN OVER SITUATION.' (Rec. 8.45 p.m.) Canberra, April 5. The Prime Minister, Mr J. A. Lyons, announced to-day that he had cabled Mr de Valera expressing Australia’s deep concern at the situation developing in Ireland and expressing the earnest hope that the Irish Free State would take no action which would endanger the existing unity of the British Commonwealth of Nations and the relationship of the Irish Free State to her sister dominions and to the United Kingdom. He pointed out that Australia had co-opcrated with the Irish Free State, sister dominions and the United Kingdom in removing constitutional difficulties, and had hoped as a result of the Imperial Conference of 1926 and 1930 that the position had been reached where, full cooperation of self-governing peoples under a common Crown had been achieved ; therefore any attempt to weaken the unity of the British Commonwealth of Nations would be profoundly deplored by the people of Australia. Mr Lyons emphasized that Australia contained a large proportion of people of Irish birth who might be vitally affected by any constitutional change involving their rights and privileges as citizens of a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. PUBLICITY IN NEW YORK. (Rec. 7.15 p.m.) Now York, April 5. The New York Times prominently displays on its first page the Australian Government’s note to the de Valera Government, printing the entire text. The news arrived too late for comment. The reaction to night, however, is expected to attract great interest.