THREAT TO EMPIRE BONDS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1932, Page 5

THREAT TO EMPIRE BONDS

POLICY OF MR. DE VALERA

WRITING TO WRONG ADDRESS

IRISH PEOPLE’S SURPRISE

OATH AN “EMPTY FORMULA”

British Wireless.

Rugby, April 12.

Although the Irish Free State Executive Council meets to-morrow a Dublin message says that it is unlikely that Mr. J. H. Thomas’ reply to Mr. De Valera’s dispatch will be examined before Friday.

According to the Times’ Dublin correspondent, the friendly tone of the British Government’s note and its freedom from any kind of threat has been welcomed by Irish Free State citizens. He describes many Free State people as surprised that the oath, which Mr. De Valera and his followers in the Free State Parliament have themselves taken, describing it in so doing as an “empty formula,” should be treated as an occasion to precipitate a dispute.

In no quarter of the British Press is any sympathy or approval found for Mr. De Valera’s action.

The Star (Liberal) says: “Ireland is now no longer an appanage of England, but a member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. The old position lives only in the memory of those who cannot adjust their minds to facts. The only thing in fact which binds the Commonwealth together is allegiance to the Crown. Mr. De Valera is writing to the wrong address. He thinks he is trying to break the link with England. He is, in fact, threatening to break the bonds of Empire, which bind Irishmen in Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand to Ireland itself.”

The Evening News refers to the already expressed concern of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and the possible consequences of Mr. De Valera’s meditated action, and says that he will probably be further reminded by them that the Free State helped to frame the Statute of Westminster, in which it, was laid down that “the Crown is a symbol of free association of members of the British Commonwealth of Nations and they are united by common allegiance to the Crown.”

The News adds that- all over the Empire the hope will be that Ireland, which accepted the invitation to the Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa will not go there with the intention of tearing itself out of the family and so becoming no longer entitled to the many and growing boons which the membership of the British Commonwealth confers.