STATUS OF EIRE

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22659, 12 July 1945, Page 5

STATUS OF EIRE

SURPRISE STATEMENT DECLARED A REPUBLIC RELATIONS WITH BRITAIN (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyrig-ht) (Received July 12, 12.15 p.m.) DUBLIN, July 11 “Eire is a republic,” said Mr De Valera in the Dail, replying to a question from Mr Dillon, who declared that nobody seemed to know what Eire was. Mr Dillon: That’s the greatest news I have heard for a long time. Now we know where we are, and San Francisco knows. Can you tell me when this happened? Mr De Valera said the new constitution and change of name from Irish Free State came into operation in 1937, and although the constitution did not include the word “republic” it provided all the machinery for it. There was no mention of the King Snd the office of governorgeneral was abolished. A separate Act dealing with external affairs made it clear that Eire had no intention of severing herself from the British Commonwealth. Mr Dillon was flabbergasted for a second when Mr De Valera said Eire was a Republic, states the Daily Express correspondent in Dublin. Mr Dillon then sprang to his feet and said: “It is remarkable to have an announcement of this kind made so casually.” “Newborn Republic” During discussion later on a Bill to amend the Act which gave Mr De Valera wartime emergency powers, Mr Dillon said: “Isn’t it a queer thing that on the first day of this newborn republic we are fighting to get back our liberties?” It is a queer augury for a newborn Republic.” The Daily Mail’s Dublin correspondent says Mr De Valera caused surprise in the Dail when he declared Eire was a Republic. This was the first time he had made such a clearcut statement on the constitutional position. Previously when asked whether Eire was a Republic or a member of the British Commonwealth he had always replied that Eire was a sovereign, independent State and had associations with Britain and the Commonwealth for certain internal purposes. UNRRA FACES CRISIS SHIPMENTS TO BALKANS LONDON, July 11 The Unrra programme in the Balkans is facing a major crisis because of the Washington decision to cut food shipments to 55,000 tons a month, says the Belgrade correspondent of the Associated Press. Yugoslavia has probably received 15,000 to 20,000 tons of food, compared with requests for 90,000 tons for August and September. Presumably Greece, Albania, Poland, Czechoslovakia and part of Italy are also affected. COLLECTING EVIDENCE TRIAL OF MAJOR CRIMINALS (OlTlclal Wireless) (Received July 12, 12.15 p.m.) RUGBY, July 11 Mr Justice Jackson, American representative on the conference which has been meeting in London to make arrangements for the trial of major war criminals, has returned to London from the Continent and today attended a meeting of the War Crimes Commission. He has been on a week’s facts-finding mission, visiting centres in Europe where interrogation of major war criminals has taken place and examining evidence already collected. During his absence a sub-com-mittee has been working on draft proposals for setting up of international courts for the trial of major war criminals. Progress is being made, though it is not yet possible to give the date on which the trials will open.