THE IRISH CRISIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16506, 17 August 1921, Page 7

THE IRISH CRISIS.

SOLDIERS ON LEAVE.

ORDERED TO RETURN.

Bv Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright, Australia.!! and N'.Z. Press Association. (Received August 17, 8.55 a.in.) LONDON', August 16. Leave to all soldiers from Ireland lias been cancelled and they have been ordered to return immediately. meeting of dail eireann (Received August 17, 8.55 a. in.) LONDON, August 16. Despite a downpour of rain, enormous crowds waited outside Dublin Mansion ilouso for the opening of the Dail Eireann. Traffic was suspended. Large contingents of the Irish Republican Army held the streets for a la- , dius of a hundred yards. The Dail Eireann assembled in the room of the Mansion House where i’aroll made some of his great orations ; Irish freedom. Parnell’s portrait is tiung above the Speaker s chair. \, uly 2000 people were present in th, galleries, including prominent lawyers,' clergy, medical men and /business men. When the clerk called the names of Sir James Craig and other members of the Lister Parliament and that of Air J. Devlm, M.P., to which, of course, there was no response, derisive laughter on the part of the audience was suppressed by the Speaker. Michael Collins, the Sinn Fein Com-mander-in-Chief, was the first to sign the roll. He received an ovation. Five ladies took the oath, and one Englishman, Lieutenant-Commander ilrskiuo Childers. At the conclusion of Mr De Valera’s speech. the Dail Eireunn adjourned till to-morrow. Lieutenant-Commander Erskine Childers, R.N.V.R., served in the great war with the Royal Navy Air Service, and was awarded the D.S.O. He has written several books on war topics, and another entitled “ The Framework of Home Rule.” RECOGNITION OF REPUBLIC BRITISH PROPOSALS NOT JUST. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Press Association. Received August 17, 10.20 a.m.) LONDON, August 16.

Ab members of the Dai l Eireann entered the chamber the oath of pledging allegiance to a free Irish State was administered. John M’Neill was elected Speaker. Mr de V alera, in a lengthy speech, reiterated Ireland’s claim to separation from Britain. He said that the only Government which the people recognised was the I>uil Kireann Ministry. He would report on the negotiations with the British Government and proposed that its reply be discussed in a private session. He understood it was the intention of the British Government to make that reply as issue between peace and war. Hence the first discussion would be held privately and v. hen it was ready for despatch there would be another public session. Ml* de Valera, continuing, said he did not say the people had been given a plebiscite for a form of Republican Government so much as for Irish freelorn and independence. Hence the Irish Republic as such was sanctioned by the will of the people, and their representatives solemnly declared the nation's independence, for which they would give their lives if necessary to make the people’s will effective. “ Only on the basis of recognition of the republic,” said Mr de Valera, “can we deal with any foreign Power. We stand by that principle and mean to die for it if necessary.” The British proposals were not just and because of that he had sent his reply.