EIRE’S NEUTRALITY

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21415, 8 May 1941, Page 7

EIRE’S NEUTRALITY

BRITAIN SUFFERS FOR IT FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES STATEMENT BY MINISTER (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, May 6 Referring to the neutrality of Eire in a speech to members of the Royal Empire’s Society, says the British official wireless, the Minister of Information, Mr Duff Cooper, said: “ It is an example and proof to the world of the true independence of our Dominions. “ However much we suffer from it—and deeply and disastrously we suffer from it—we respect the independence of Eire and allow them to remain neutral while we are fighting for our lives. That shows that Britain abides by her word, and that the Statute of Westminster is not a scrap of paper which you can tear up, but a bond we have entered into and by which we shall abide.” The Minister referred also to the work of the British Broadcasting Corporation in combating Nazi diplomacy. He said: “ They were very busy talking to Yugoslavia after the Government had signed the pact with Germany. We took hours away from other countries to talk to Yugoslavia, day and night. “ We turned on the best people we could find, among them the Secretary of State for India. We hope these efforts may have had something to do with the coup-d’etat, but we do not claim all the credit for it, and we certainly shall not get it.”