EIRE A REPUBLIC

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23257, 19 July 1945, Page 5

EIRE A REPUBLIC

De Valera Explains Constitution Autonomy In External Relations By Telesrapli —N Z Press Assn.—Copyright Rec. 10 p.m.' LONDON. July 18. Eire had been a republic from December 29. 1937. when the new constitution came into operation, said Mr E. De Valera in a speech in the Dail. He cited Article V which defined the State as a sovereign independent democracy. He added: “A State whose institutions correspond with these articles is demonstrably a republic.” Air de Valera then quoted definitions of a republic from new standard dictionaries, including the Encyclopaedia Britannica. "If anyone still persists in maintaining that our State is not, a republic. I cannot aigue with him or we have not a common language. It is sometimes argued that our State is a monarchy because of the External Relations Act 1936 Ido not think any constitutional lawyer of repute would maintain such a thesis. By this Act, so long as we are associated with Australia. Canada. Great Britain. New Zealand and South Africa, so lone a the King is recognised by these nations as a symbol of co-operation and continues to act on behalf of each of those (on advice of the several Governmentof them) for the purposes ot the appointment of diplomatic and consular representative and the conclusion of international agreements, the King is so recognised, permitted and authorised to act on our behalf as and when advised by the Government “The External Relations Act is a simple statute repealable by the Legislature. not a fundamental law. A law it will void any extent whatever , in which it conflicts with our funda- ; menal law constitution. The Act is a simple enabling Act to permit the carrying out of the State’s external policy in the field of international relations as indicated and provided in i Article 29 of the constitution and i nothing more. “The position as I conceive it is we are an independent republic associat'd as a matter of external policy with the States of the British Commonwealth. To mark this association, we avail ourselves of the procedure of the Externa! Relations Act by which the King recognised by th i State of the British Commonwealth acts for us under advice in certain specified matters in the field for our external relations.” Crowded public and distinguished strangers’ galleries heard Mr de Valera’s speech.