THE IRISH CRISIS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18259, 18 August 1921, Page 9

THE IRISH CRISIS

ALL LI-JAVE CANCELLED. OPENING OF DAIL EIREaNN. LONDON, Allgust 16. Leave to all soldiers from Ireland has been cancelled and they have been ordered to return Immediately. Despite a dounpour of rain, an enormous crowd waited outside Dublin Mansion House for the opening of the Dail Eireann. Traffic was suspended. Large contingents of the Irish Republican army held the streets for a radius of a hundred yards. DE VALERA’S DEMAND. LONDON, Au-gust 16. As members of the Dail Eireann entered the chamber the oath of pledging allegiance to the Free Irish State was administered. Mr. John McNeill was elected Speaker. De Valera, in the course of a lengthy speech, retiterated Ireland's claim to separation from Britain. He said the only Government Which the people recognised was the Dail Eireann Ministry. He would renori on the negotiations with the Government, and ..he proposed reply would be discussec. in a private session. He understood it was the intention of tfie British Government to make that reply an issue between peace and war, hence the first discussion would be held privately and when ready for despatch there would be another public session. De Valera, continu|ing, said he did not say the people had been given a plebiscite for a form of Republican Government so much as for Irish freedom and independene, hence an Irish Republic as suchf 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 this tasis of recognition of the Republic can we deal with ally 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 sent his reply. THE D*IL EIREANN. ASSEMBLY AT MANSION HOUSE. RONDON, August 16. The Dail Eireann assembled in the Round Room of Mansion House where Parnell made some of his great orations for Irish freedom. Parnell’s portrait hung above the Speaker’s chair. There were nearly two thousand present m the galleries, including prominent lawyers, clergy, medical men and business men. When the Clerk called the names of Craig and other members of the Ulster Parliament, and Devlin, to which, of course, there was no response, there was derisive laughter on the part of the audience. This was suppressed by the Speaker. Michael Collins was the first to sign the roll, and received an ovation. Five ladies took the oath and one Englishman, Erskine Childers. At the conclusion of De Valera’s speech, the Dail Eireann adjourned till to-morrow.