REPLY TO IRELAND.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 936, 5 December 1933, Page 1

REPLY TO IRELAND.

Statement to be Made To-day in Commons. POSITION REGARDING DEFAULT. United Press Assn.—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received December 5. 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, December 4. It is understood that Cabinet has approved of the reply to the Note recently received by Mr J. H. Thomas from Mr de Valera. The Note asked for a statement regarding the British Government’s attitude towards the declaration of an Irish Republic. The terms of the reply will be disclosed in both Houses of Parliament to-morrow. In the House of Commons a statement will be made in reply to a question, and in the House of Lords the subject will be raised by Lord Danesfort, who will ask whether in view of Mr de \ alera’s recent demand that the British Government should acquiesce in the declaration of a Republic, the Government will undertake that they will not tolerate any interference with the status of Irish loyalists. Questioned in the House of Commons as to whether the duties now imposed on products from the Irish Free State on entering Britain are sufficient to make good the loss suffered by the British taxpayer by reason of the default of the Irish Free State on the land annuities, Mr Thomas said that up to April 1, 1933, the total of the default amounted to £4,774,000, and for the period April 1 to November 30, 1933, the sum of £2,579,000 was still owing. The total amount collected in duties from imports from the Irish Free State up till April 1 was £2,518,000, and from that date to November 25, £3,054,000 had been collected in duties. Replying to a supplementary question Mr Thomas explained in regard to the outstanding deficiency of about £2,000,000 that the British Government did not impose import duties for manv months after the default first arose, hoping and believing that the Irish rree State would meet its obligations. Addressing the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, the Irish Free State Finance Minister said that it was the earnest desire of the Free State Government that relations between the peoples of Ireland and Great Britain, who had community interests, should be amicable and cordial.